All posts by csb10.top

The ICC and the PCB have resolved their dispute over the staging of the 2011 World Cup. The PCB, which was stripped of its rights to host the tournament in the aftermath of the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, will retain its host fees of US$10.5 million and also receive a payment as additional compensation for the loss of hosting rights. The two parties reached an agreement during a meeting between the ICC president David Morgan and the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt in Dubai. It is expected that the settlement will be signed later today, at which point the PCB will withdraw its legal proceedings against the ICC.However, Butt told AFP that the PCB was aiming to include a clause in the agreement which would allow Pakistan to host some of the World Cup matches depending on the teams’ approval. “We have also demanded to include a clause in (Thursday’s) agreement that if the security situation improves in Pakistan, some of the World Cup matches be played in Pakistan subject to teams’ acceptance,” he said.It was also agreed that the PCB would be free of its liabilities and obligations associated with hosting matches during the tournament, including the location of the tournament secretariat which had originally been set for Lahore.”This resolution is good for world cricket and provides an improved platform for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 as we now have a degree of certainty surrounding the event that was not there while the dispute was ongoing, ” Morgan said after the agreement was reached. “I am glad we were able to come to an amicable agreement and I believe this is a fair resolution for the PCB and the ICC.”He added that international cricket would return to Pakistan once the ICC deemed the security situation in the country was fit for teams to tour. “When the position in Pakistan, from a safety and security point of view, becomes satisfactory to the ICC and its specialist security advisors as well as to visiting teams, then international cricket will return to Pakistan,” he said.Butt, who had strongly opposed the ICC’s decision to move matches out of Pakistan, welcomed the breakthrough. “The PCB is content with the settlement that has been reached,” he said. “We are able to see this dispute from the other side. We realise also the logistical and administrative difficulties that would be associated with organising our matches in the other three co-host countries.”Our number-one priority is that cricket in Pakistan must not be allowed to suffer unduly and I believe this agreement is the best possible outcome for the game,” he said.The PCB had reacted sternly over its loss of hosting rights for the tournament and had issued a legal notice to the ICC in May, calling the decision “discriminatory” and “legally flawed”.Six Sri Lankan cricketers were hurt in the attack on their team in March when they were touring for a two-Test series; other countries, prior to the tour, had refused to visit citing concerns over the volatile security situation in Pakistan. The PCB had also filed a case in the Lahore court against the ICC’s decision to move the headquarters of the 2011 World Cup (the World Cup secretariat) from Lahore to Mumbai.In June, the ICC ruled out the possibility of Pakistan’s matches being hosted at neutral venues, including the UAE. It confirmed the decision to allocate Pakistan’s share of the matches to the three other co-hosts, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The row showed signs of abating when, earlier this month, the PCB said it was looking for an out-of-court settlement to resolve the matter and added it was entitled to a substantial compensation for its share of matches being taken away.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has agreed to go ahead and resolve its ongoing tussle with the Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB) over the stripping of the Wanderers’ international status. In response to the GCB’s request for mediation and their criticism of the management of the IPL, CSA has asked the sports ministry to appoint a mediator to amicably resolve the situation.”CSA has informed the GCB that it is keen to resolve this matter amicably, and that we agree with GCB that it should be referred to mediation,” Gerald Majola, CSA chief executive, said. “In the circumstances, CSA has asked the Minister of Sport and Recreation to appoint a mediator as a matter of urgency in this regard, and we will inform GCB of the outcome of our request to the Minister.”Last week the GCB expressed its willingness to hold meetings with the CSA in the presence of a mediator and requested the board to appoint one if it desired. In order to prepare for such a meeting, the GCB asked the board to send it a copy of the CSA president’s statement demanding an apology, the reasons why its letter was sent to the board’s Members’ Forum, why the Risk and Audit Committee wasn’t suitable for tackling the issue, why its letter was dismissed and why the hosting conditions were linked to the removal of matches when none of the other boards had accepted.If the issue is not resolved, Wanderers’ is set to lose out on three matches during England’s tour to South Africa in November-December.

ScorecardJoshua Cobb hit 29 fours and four sixes during his 290-ball stay•Getty Images

Joshua Cobb, playing his first youth Test for England Under-19s, compiled an outstanding double-century to put the hosts in a commanding position against Bangladesh Under-19s at Scarborough. Cobb, who plays for Leicestershire, scored 220 off 290 balls as England finished the first day on 422 for 8.Cobb had scored only one first-class century – an unbeaten 148 – in 24 innings for Leicestershire and he, along with Jaik Mickleburgh, provided England U-19 with a superb start after the hosts chose to bat. The openers added 139 for the first wicket before Mickleburgh was out in unorthodox fashion, hit wicket to Shabbir Rahman for 57.None of the other batsmen made substantial contributions but they didn’t collapse either. They hung around long enough to support Cobb, who did the bulk of the scoring. He hit 29 fours and four sixes, holding up one end spectacularly as wickets gradually fell at the other and was the seventh man to be dismissed when the score was 409.Bangladesh used as many as nine bowlers but few apart from Rehman and Alauddin Babu had much success. They picked up three wickets each while Shaker Ahmed and Mominul Haque took one apiece as England raced along to a formidable total, virtually erasing the visitors’ hopes of victory.

Match facts

May 17, 2009
Start time 12.30 (10.30 GMT, 1600 IST)

Big Picture

Brett Lee has added an edge to the Punjab attack•Associated Press

Kings XI Punjab have already made it through one make-or-break match successfully. To stay in the running for the semi-finals, they had to beat the No. 1 team, Delhi Daredevils, and they did. A day after that tense victory Punjab are faced with another must-win game, this time against Deccan Chargers. Punjab have 12 points and a negative net run-rate and are presently not among the top four teams with two games to play. The upshot of their off-colour campaign though, is that even if they win against Deccan, they will have another crucial game against Chennai Super Kings.Deccan might be a weary lot when they take the field against Punjab because not even 24 hours have passed since their previous game. However, they will be buoyant after strengthening their chances of making the semi-finals by beating the winners of the wooden spoon, Kolkata Knight Riders, last night. That victory took them to 14 points, and with two games in hand, the clash against Punjab isn’t of must-win importance. A defeat, however, will leave Deccan needing to win against Bangalore in order to qualify without depending on too many other results going their way.

Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)

Kings XI Punjab: WLWLL
Yuvraj Singh is among the season’s top five run-scorers but he hasn’t played an innings of brutal impact yet. He has two half-centuries, an average of 31.40, but his strike-rate of 122 is lower than his Twenty20 international strike-rate of 164.77. Brett Lee has had a significant impact since he joined the team, taking five wickets in three games at an average of 12.80 and economy of 5.33.Deccan Chargers: WLWLW
After several indifferent performances, Adam Gilchrist made an aggressive and timely half-century against Delhi and he and Andrew Symonds, who has hit the ground running in South Africa, form the mainstay of Deccan’s batting. Rohit Sharma, had been slightly disappoint with the bat till the game against Kolkata, where he scripted an incredible victory. He has also taken 11 wickets and bowled economically.

Watch out for

Lee v Symonds: Both players are recent additions to their teams after completing their national duties in the UAE. Lee has been a potent force with the new ball and has given the batsmen few boundary opportunities. He will be expected to tackle his Australian team-mate, Symonds, who has been taking advantage of the short boundaries in South Africa. Symonds averages 49.66 after four innings with a strike-rate of 165.55.

Teams

Mahela Jayawardene’s hamstring injury is likely to keep him out of the game. His overseas replacement, Luke Pomersbach, has scored only 14 runs in two innings but is likely to keep his spot because Punjab have no other overseas batsmen available.Kings XI Punjab: 1 Simon Katich, 2 Sunny Sohal, 3 Luke Pomersbach, 4 Yuvraj Singh (capt), 5 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 6 Irfan Pathan, 7 Brett Lee, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Ramesh Powar, 10 Wilkin Mota, 11 Sreesanth.Herschelle Gibbs was not at his best, either in the field or with the bat, against Kolkata, and could make way for Dwayne Smith. Another player likely to find himself benched is Harmeet Singh, who had the less than impressive figures of 3.5-0-40-0.Deccan Chargers: (probable) 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt & wk), 2 Herschelle Gibbs/Dwayne Smith, 3 T Suman, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Venugopal Rao, 7 D Ravi Teja, 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 RP Singh, 10 Pragyan Ojha, 11 P Vijaykumar.

Stats and trivia

• Punjab have performed poorly during the Powerplays. They scored at only 7.25 runs per over at an average of 24.85 per wicket. Deccan have performed far better, with a run-rate of 8.08 during the first six overs.
• Symonds’ average of 65.50 is the highest in the second season of the IPL. Jayawardene’s 36 is the best average for Punjab.
• Gilchrist has hit the most sixes in this year’s IPL – 23. Yuvraj’s 15 is the most for Punjab.

Head-to-head record

The head-to-head record is 3-0 in Punjab’s favour and all their victories against Deccan have come while chasing. Punjab won by three wickets off the penultimate ball in Kimberley in the first game against Deccan this season. In 2008, they won by seven wickets in Hyderabad and by six wickets in Mohali.

Quotes

“Brett’s important in attack. He’s got that x-factor up front and he’s a great finisher as well. He’s performing and just his presence is important for the team.”
.

Shoaib Akhtar’s latest fitness concern, a skin problem, has ruled him out of Pakistan’s training camp for the World Twenty20, coach Intikhab Alam said.”The doctors have advised Shoaib Akhtar at least 7-10 days of rest and he will not be the part of the training camp,” Alam told AP from Bhurban. Pakistan’s six-day training camp, to be held at a mountain resort, will begin on Thursday.The World Twenty starts on June 5, and Alam was hopeful Shoaib would be available for the tournament, where Pakistan are in Group B along with the Netherlands and host England. “I hope he will be fully fit before the all-important event,” he said.A host of injury problems have combined to restrict Shoaib’s appearances at the international level over the past six months. He missed the one-dayers against West Indies in Abu Dhabi last October due to a calf injury, while a knee problem ruled him out of the Tests against Sri Lanka earlier this year.Shoaib did play the entire limited-overs series against Australia in the UAE over the past month, but he was nowhere near his best, taking three wickets at 50.66.

Kenya’s grounds are undergoing major overhauls ahead of next year’s ICC Under-19 World Cup which will be staged at various centres around the country. A total of sixteen countries will take part including the ten Full Member countries and six Associate qualifiers.A recent inspection by Andy Atkinson, the ICC’s pitch inspector, highlighted areas of concern that needed urgent attention. The concerns centred on the need for substantial improvements in the quality of the surfaces of the venues. Atkinson is expected to be back in Kenya in the next few days to examine how things are progressing.Existing venues in Nairobi and Mombasa are undergoing various degrees of renovation. The biggest overhaul is at Mombasa’s Coast Gymkhana which has had its entire outfield levelled and relaid with a new pitch installed.New venues at Rift Valley Sports Club and Greensteds, both of which are located in the town of Nakuru, have also seen substantial improvements where, until now, cricket was only played on artificial pitches.So far, the programme of works, which is estimated to cost in the region of US$ 250,000, has been funded by Cricket Kenya. This represents a sizeable investment by the board as none of this work is funded by the ICC. The only tangible benefit Kenya will get from hosting the World Cup will be around $150,000 which, in accordance with the ICC’s regulations, will only be released after the event.However, the tournament, the first major one in the country since the 2000 Champions Trophy, will give the prestige of the game inside Kenya a boost, and preparations are already well underway to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Melanie Jones, the former Australia batsman, has retired from the women’s domestic scene after 142 matches for Victoria. Jones, 36, steps down with two World Cup wins, five Tests, 61 ODIs and a record 122 Women’s National Cricket League appearances.Jones, who scored 1028 one-day international runs at 21.41, said it was the right time to exit. “I didn’t want to make any rash decisions after the WNCL final, so I took some time off and had a think about it and it was really easy in the end,” she said.”There are some other opportunities popping up, I thoroughly enjoyed commentating at the World Cup and hopefully I can do more of that as well as completing my level three coaching course. My body felt the best it has in ages and mentally and physically I felt capable, but it just seemed like the right time.”Her final game for Australia came in the 2005 World Cup victory in South Africa. Jones, who is Cricket Victoria’s School Programs Coordinator, will continue to coach the women’s club side Essendon Maribyrnong Park.

The ECB’s head-hunter led search for candidates to be the team director closes on Friday. The same day the final Test in Trinidad begins, the result of which will decide whether the new man in charge of the England team will take over a team that has just handed back the Wisden Trophy, or has saved faced with a series-levelling victory.If it is to be the latter England will have to win the first meaningful match since first leaving home shores in October. It has been a winter of discontent, where they have lost a captain and a coach and struggled to find a winning formula in any format of the game. If they achieve a victory here it won’t be a quick fix, but would a least provide a fillip ahead of the one-day series and the home season.”We are very confident we can do well,” Andrew Strauss said. “The cricket we have played in the last two matches shows we can beat West Indies. We need to go out and do it this week, there is a bit of pressure on us to perform but we have taken a lot of confidence over what has happened in the last few weeks. A terrible session in Jamaica has put us in this position and we have one more game to get us out of it.”Strauss, Andy Flower, Ottis Gibson and James Whitaker, the touring selector, arrived at the Queen’s Park Oval ahead of the rest of the squad on Thursday and spent a significant amount of time looking at the pitch. England will be praying it offers more than the featherbed in Barbados because it has become plainly clear that their attack needs some help to take 20 wickets.”There looks as thought there will be a little bit of help in the surface but how much remains to be seen,” Strauss said. “It certainly doesn’t look as flat as the last couple we have played on, but I think bowlers are still going to have to work quite hard.”It is very much a guessing game over the formula England will use to try and level the series. Strauss didn’t give much away, but a five-man attack is shaping as a very realistic option. Matt Prior’s return from paternity leave means he could bat at No. 6 with Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann to follow. Then it would be a case of three from five.”There is definitely more of a case for five bowlers than there has been previously,” Strauss said. “That is definitely one option we are considering. The exact balance of that bowling attack is important, and also whether we have got enough batting capability to get the runs we need to win the game. We have a fair idea which way we want to go but won’t decide for certain until the morning.”It’s impossible to think that Ryan Sidebottom can be given another game and Flower’s recent comments about Steve Harmison suggest he has a lot of ground to make up. England’s bowlers always ‘look good in the nets’ but Harmison will have had to have looked a world-beater to win back his place otherwise all the talk will just sound like hot air. That leaves three – James Anderson, Amjad Khan and Monty Panesar.Anderson has deserved better returns in this series, but the last two would be selected on a wing and prayer. Amjad has impressed in training, but what a time to win a first Test cap, while Panesar hasn’t had much chance to prove he has rediscovered the art of spin bowling. Needs must, however, and they are the only options out here.Strauss, perhaps giving a small insight into plans, said he had been impressed by Amjad. “He has got quite a deceptive action and seems able to reverse swing it pretty well. Certainly in the two-day game in Barbados recently he got it through nicely. But at the same time he is inexperienced and no-one can be really sure how he will react to Test cricket.”Conceivably the six batsmen balance could be retained, but if one goes it’s a choice between Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara and for both it would be a harsh call. Shah has been told he will have a run at No. 3 to prove himself and Bopara is coming off a maiden Test century. The argument of consistency would seem to favour Shah, an eye on the long-term future would be on Bopara’s side. But England need to treat this as a one-off Test to win, victories have been too few and far between of late for them to get too cute about decision making.”We can’t afford to lose or draw this game. The only thing we can focus on is winning and clearly that’s an important motivating factor for us,” Strauss said. “Everything we do this week has to be with that idea in our mind. A draw isn’t good enough. A 1-0 defeat or a 2-0 defeat is still a defeat so that’s not a massive issue for us, it’s all about winning the match.”

This tour doesn’t get any easier for England. No sooner had GraemeSwann burst back into the Test team with a maiden five-wicket haul inAntigua than a long-standing elbow problem flared up again, whileSteve Harmison has been sent for a scan after reporting back stiffnessto give the management and selectors another concern.Harmison’s scan gave the all-clear – “normal wear-and-tear” was thediagnosis – and Swann should also be fit for the crucial fourth Test inBarbados on Thursday, but it is hardly ideal preparation for what is a must-win match.They will have to try and level the series with a four-man attackafter losing Andrew Flintoff and Matt Prior over the last few days, and cannot afford anyone to go lame once they are named in the side.Not that Harmison is screaming out for selection having taken justfour wickets in the series. Since his much-heralded return againstSouth Africa, at The Oval in August, he has managed nine wickets at41, which are hardly the numbers of a strike bowler. However, withRyan Sidebottom also a risky proposition due to his Achilles problemHarmison is unlikely to be challenged. The other option would be AmjadKhan but, despite his 5 for 79 in the warm-up match, the selectors areunlikely to gamble on a debutant in a four-man attackWith plenty of issues surrounding the quick bowlers Swann’s positionbecomes ever more important. He woke up on the fourth morning inAntigua and could barely move his right arm, but thanks to plenty ofphysio and a couple of painkilling injections managed to send down 39overs in the second innings. It was almost enough to clinch England avital victory, only to be denied by West Indies’ final pair.”It was frustrating when the clouds got in the way and when theumpires offered the light it was quite a debilitating feeling becausewe’d controlled the game for five days. It was gutting really,” hesaid. “I don’t look back on it with dismay, it’s happened and there’sno point crying over spilt milk.”Swann’s injury flairs up randomly – it once happened carrying abasket in Tesco’s – and at some stage he will need an operation, but itwill be difficult to find the time now he is England’s No. 1 spinnerin both Test and one-day cricket. His 5 for 57 in the first innings inAntigua were England’s best bowling figures of the winter, showing theharsh reality of the struggling attack.”There are bits in there that shouldn’t be and they need taking out atsome stage, but finding time to do it is a bit tricky these days,”Swann said. “Three years ago we tried to get it sorted out and I hadan operation, but it didn’t quite do the trick and more bits havefragmented off. It’s probably something I will have for the rest of mycareer and it’s annoying and frustrating as it is indiscriminate.”He hopes he can manage the problem for the rest of this tour, but hewon’t want to be out of action during the summer with a World Twenty20and the Ashes series looming. “With the intensive physio and doctortreatment you get with the England team it’s easier to manage,” hesaid. “We can pump it full of whatever it needs over the next twoweeks, potentially three or four weeks, to get through the West Indiestrip.”What makes the timing even worse for Swann is that he now has thechance to cement himself as the frontline spinner after taking MontyPanesar’s place in Antigua. It is an opportunity he has waited adecade for after first touring with England in 1999. Although heretains his jovial personality he is a far more mature cricketer thesedays and now trusts his game.”I’ve been bowling well for the last 18 months,” he said. “I willalways be pigeon-holed as a one-day spinner even though my record isprobably better in first-class cricket. I was bowling well enough towarrant a place on tour and in India and I was delighted to be pickedin Antigua.”I certainly didn’t go out saying ‘right I’ve got to show what I cando now’. I was quite surprised I got five wickets in the first inningsbecause it wasn’t doing much, but every dog has his day and I was morethan happy. It’s a nice feeling to know that, if you are fit, you aregoing to get into the team for the next game.”As Panesar found, being the top spinner comes with plenty of pressurebut Swann is confident he can deal with the expectation. “Some peoplemight put pressure on themselves, but it’s undue pressure and youdon’t need to be thinking that the whole country is expecting,” hesaid. “My mum has been telling me I’m the No. 1 spinner in England forthe last 10 years so that’s enough pressure.”

Match facts

Saturday, January 24
Start time 7.15pm (08.15 GMT)

The Big Picture

It’s unusual for a final to result in an easing of pressure, but it has been far more stressful making the decider of the Twenty20 Big Bash than it will be during the match. By finishing in the top two both New South Wales and Victoria qualified for the US$6 million Champions League in India in October. The chance for a tilt at those riches is a far bigger prize than a domestic trophy in the game’s shortest format.New South Wales roared with relief and expectation after beating the Bushrangers on the final ball of the last group match and Victoria made it through by breezing past Queensland in the preliminary final on Wednesday. While Brad Hodge’s hamstring injury was the major talking point after the game, the volume became deafening the following day when Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand wicketkeeper, was unveiled by New South Wales for the decider.Victorian officials could not think of another arena where a player could be drafted in without any qualifying period and be allowed to play immediately. Their hasty attempt to pick up Adam Gilchrist on a similar deal failed and they will not look for any new talent. The moves add spice to a contest that is always testy between two long-term rivals. The Bushrangers have won all three finals of the tournament and if their under-manned team can manage a fourth success it will be the most satisfying.

Twenty20 form guide

New South Wales – WLWLW
Victoria – WLWLWW

Team news

McCullum comes in as an opening batsman, which is a relief for the incumbent wicketkeeper Daniel Smith, who also provides useful late hitting. Phillip Hughes, who has recovered from a quadriceps injury, is back in the XII and Simon Keen and Ed Cowan have been squeezed out. Doug Bollinger and Mark Cameron will play key roles with the new ball as they try to tie up an inexperienced Victorian order.New South Wales (probable) 1 Brendon McCullum, 2 Philip Hughes, 3 Simon Katich (capt), 4 Moises Henriques, 5 Steve O’Keefe, 6 Ben Rohrer, 7 Dominic Thornely, 8 Daniel Smith (wk), 9 Aaron Bird, 10 Mark Cameron, 11 Doug Bollinger, 12 Steve Smith.Hodge is out, leaving the Bushrangers without their three best players as David Hussey and Cameron White are stuck on national duty. White was not allowed to captain his side even though he missed Australia’s three-wicket loss to South Africa in Sydney on Friday night. The allrounder Andrew McDonald, who played in the Sydney Test, will lead the side, but finding heavy hitters at the top of the order is a major concern. Chris Rogers, who should appear in his first Twenty20 match for the state, was called in to the 13-man squad as Hodge’s replacement.Victoria (probable) 1 Chris Rogers, 2 Aiden Blizzard, 3 Rob Quiney, 4 Aaron Finch, 5 Andrew McDonald (capt), 6 Adam Crosthwaite (wk), 7 Matthew Wade, 8 Damien Wright, 9 Shane Harwood, 10 Bryce McGain, 11 Dirk Nannes, 12 Jon Holland, 13 John Hastings.

Watch out for …

Dirk Nannes is the meanest local bowler in the competition with 11 wickets this season at an average of 12.00 and a stifling economy rate of 6.00. His left-arm angle makes life particularly difficult for the batsmen and his bounce and speed add to his weapons. When the sides met on Saturday he took 4 for 11, but couldn’t find a boundary from the last ball to win the match.Brendon McCullum will become New South Wales’ first overseas signing since Imran Khan arrived for the 1984-85 season. An explosive opener, McCullum has more experience in limited-overs games than any of his team-mates, but how he copes with a one-off match will gauge the success of a move that could involve a single appearance in blue. His 158 off 73 balls in the first game of the 2008 Indian Premier League is the highest score in the format.

Pitch & conditions

The surface at the Olympic Stadium was hard to score on last weekend and spin could be an important handbrake. It’s a drop-in surface so the bounce is lower than usual, making it harder for batsmen to take chances. A hot day is expected, with temperatures in the mid to high 30s, and an evening storm is predicted.

Stats and trivia

• Victoria have lost only three games in four years in the competition, but two of those have come in this campaign
• Brad Hodge is the leading Twenty20 run-scorer on the domestic scene with 738 while David Hussey is second with 587. Dominic Thornely is the best of the New South Wales batsmen with 322
• New South Wales hope to beat the largest domestic Twenty20 crowd, which is 28,978 for Victoria’s match with Tasmania at the MCG in 2006-07.
• Dirk Nannes has the most wickets in domestic Twenty20 history with 23 in 12 matches

Quotes

“I’m no chance whatsoever, I think I’ll be out for quite a while.”
Brad Hodge picked up a hamstring injury on Wednesday
“The way the game has changed in the last 12 to 18 months is incredible. I’m sure other teams will look to do the same with the financial opportunities that are available, and it’s humbling to be a part of it.”
Brendon McCullum after being flown in by the Blues