Lawyers working for the Indian Cricket League are believed to be preparing the ground to file lawsuits against the ECB, following yesterday’s news that five ICL players were refused registration by the England board.The five players – Justin Kemp, Hamish Marshall, Johan van der Wath, Wavell Hinds and Andrew Hall – were all refused by a rule which requires non-England players not to have played for their home countries in the past 12 months. The ECB seem confident that they are on a firm legal footing but, privately, the ICL believe they have a very strong case for a ‘restraint of trade’ suit.”Our clients are taking this extremely seriously,” a lawyer representing the ICL told the , “and we will be supporting them. They find themselves in a nightmare situation where they have signed a contract with the counties in good faith and now they are not allowed to play.”The counties themselves are unlikely to take action against the ECB; most have seen this situation coming for months. The worst situation for all, though, is if the players take action against the counties themselves; if the counties lose, the ECB would have to bail them out. Where this leaves the likes of Marshall, who turned his back on New Zealand and is now effectively unemployed, is unclear.These five players won’t be the last; the ECB are expecting another raft of applications which will only intensify the pressure on both the counties and the board, not to mention increase the ICL’s belief that their legal case for action is solid. The Professional Cricketers Assocation (PCA) announced two weeks ago that it would step in to help the players better understand the muddle, and would conduct meetings with all the counties before the start of the season.”Our position hasn’t changed from two weeks ago when we made our last statement,” Jason Ratcliffe, the PCA’s assistant chief executive, told Cricinfo today, adding that the meetings had yet to be concluded.
Scorecard Sri Lanka A swept to their second successive victory by beating Bangladesh A by 101 runs on the final day at the Colombo Cricket Club Ground. Chasing an improbable 341 for victory, Bangladesh were dismissed for 239, the same score they had achieved in the first innings.Bangladesh A began the final day on 16 for no loss, needing another 325 for victory. Their openers, Jahurul Islam and Mehrab Hossain jnr, gave them a solid start by adding 60 for the first wicket. Jehan Mubarak gave Sri Lanka A the first breakthrough by catching Islam off his own bowling for 21 after which Upul Chandana broke the back of Bangladesh A’s chase.Chandana took three wickets in quick time and reduced Bangladesh A to 76 for 4. They never recovered from that severe setback although Nadif Chowdhury resisted with 75. They lost wickets at regular intervals to the spinners and folded for 239. Chandana finished with figures of 4 for 67 and was ably supported by Mubarak and Herath who took 3 for 53 and 3 for 38 respectively.
Ashley Giles, the England spinner, has targetted a return to cricket next month and hopes to be ready for the Test series against Pakistan beginning on July 13. Hip and hernia problems ruled Giles out of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka starting at Lord’s tomorrow, but the veteran was confident of putting his injury misery behind him.”We think we have got to the bottom of my problems. It seems to be a dodgy groin,” Giles, 33, told reporters. “I’ve had the hip problem and the hip problem is still there. Which came first – the groin or the hip? One could have had an effect on the other. But hopefully we’ve got to the bottom of it and hopefully in five weeks I can start playing cricket.”Apart from Giles, Michael Vaughan and the pace trio of Stephen Harmison, Simon Jones and James Anderson have all been sidelined with injury. England have a hectic schedule leading upto this winter’s Ashes series in Australia, and Giles called for every player to be wary of burnout, a hot topic in recent times. “We have to keep the key players fit,” he said. “It puts more pressure on the senior guys still in the side. The one we are talking about is Andrew Flintoff. You can’t be losing Andrew Flintoff coming into the Ashes. He’s that much of a good player but it’s a difficult balance.”David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors, added that blooding youngsters would be key to England’s success in Australia. “We see some of the young guys like Alistair Cook who we think will be playing a part in Australia. We need to give him as much experience as we possibly can,” he said. “We have some fantastic depth. Now our job is difficult for the right reasons, that we have lots of people to select from. I mentioned the word rotation some months ago and we have to deliver our guys physically fit to play Australia because that’s what the cricketing public deserve.”On the series against Sri Lanka, Giles said: “Over here you are looking to dominate with your quick bowlers. Sri Lanka are not used to playing the ball at chest height, particularly against somebody quick like Andrew Flintoff. Murali’s going to be a handful. It might be his last trip to England. We all love to see him bowl and hope he has a relative amount of success – but that England win three-nil.”
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBulletin – Ashraful hundred gives Bangladesh famous win Verdict – The toppling of the greatest giant of all Quotes – Habibul Bashar, Mohammad Ashraful and Dav Whatmore Quotes – Ricky Ponting and Mike Kasprowicz Ten biggest one-day upsets Gallery Preview Australia aim to bounce back against Bangladesh
A resurgent Australia called all the shots on the second day of the third Test,first taking six wickets for 37 to bowl India out for 366, and then racking up 317 for 3 by the close. Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting both made hundreds in apartnership of 234 for the second wicket, and for a large part of the second andthird sessions India were under siege. Only two wickets late in the day from Anil Kumble, including that of the promoted Adam Gilchrist, kept India in with asemblance of a chance. It was quite clear that the balance of power had turnedquite dramatically in this Test match.Australia had struggled previously in the series to run quickly through the Indian lower order and tail, but their effort with the ball this morning was exactly what they would have envisaged last night when they considered how to get back into this Test match. India, resuming on 329 for 4, started brightly, with Sourav Ganguly unfurling some gorgeous drives against Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken, but they began to lose their way immediately after reaching 350.Lee, who had come around the wicket to Ganguly, was hit for two boundaries in three balls, but broke through with a short-of-length ball that Ganguly popped to gully (350 for 5). It is a batting tic against the fast bowlers that Ganguly has struggled to eradicate completely, and it cost India dearly here.Wickets fell in a procession thereafter, mostly to poor judgement on the part ofthe batsmen. Ajit Agarkar was the most culpable, hitting his first ball straight to mid-off and attempting a suicidal single only to be run-out. Kumble played another ill-judged stroke, driving at a wide ball from Williams and edging to third slip (366 for 8), and VVS Laxman fell before he could scrape together a few runs with the tail, reaching for a legbreak and was caught by Hayden at slip for 19. India had collapsed spectacularly, much like Australia on the second day of the Brisbane Test.
The door was now open for Australia to get quickly to the Indian score – no morethan a moderate one given the excellent batting conditions – and then run the game from there. India had the consolation of a wicket before lunch, when Agarkar dismissed Justin Langer for the fourth time in the series (30 for 1), but there was to be little respite for the Indian bowling thereafter as Hayden and Ponting piled on the runs. The batting collapse in the morning and the run-scoring of two of the most prolific batsmen in the modern game were not the only reasons for Ganguly’s distracted air. Zaheer Khan seemed to feel the effects of the injury that kept him out of the second Test, and was unable to give it all, though it was a relief to the Indians that they did not lose him altogether.Hayden brought up his hundred off only 137 balls, but his innings was not as evenly paced as that statistic suggests. His dismissals at Adelaide, driving loosely at the seamers on both occasions, would have impressed upon him the need to be more selective about his strokeplay instead of trying to dominate all the bowlers. He batted circumspectly against Ashish Nehra, who bowled two probing and accurate spells at him, and most of his runs came against the bowling of Agarkar, whom he drove down the ground repeatedly, and Kumble, who was slog-swept with impunity and never allowed to settle. Akash Chopra, fielding at short leg to the bowling of Kumble, must have on more than one occasion felt that facing Lee’s bumpers with a bat for protection was infinitely more preferable to having to dodge Hayden’s swipes from five yards away.A feature of Hayden’s innings was his superb running between the wickets. Herepeatedly hit the ball straight to mid-off or mid-on and made it to the nonstriker’s end by the time the throw was fired in. Hayden made merry after hereached his hundred, taking guard well outside his crease and savaging even goodballs with powerful strokes off the front foot.Ponting, whose attacking instincts rival those of any other batsman in contemporary cricket, was content to play second foil for once, ensuring nevertheless that he scored at a healthy rate. He took heavy toll of Agarkar when he dropped short and Zaheer when he overpitched, but his batting against Kumble was less than assured, and he was lucky to survive on a number of occasions. It was not among his best hundreds, but it was vital nonetheless, and he remained undefeated at stumps.When Hayden was finally out for 133, lbw to Kumble swinging across the line oncetoo often (264 for 2), Australia made a strong statement of intent. Though still102 behind the Indian total, they showed that they were confident they would notfall short of it by sending in Adam Gilchrist at No.4 to have a go at the bowling. Gilchrist swung at quite a few without looking very convincing, but he is easily among he most dangerous batsmen in international cricket, and India would have been relieved to see the back of him when he skied Kumble high in the air and was caught at mid-off (295 for 3).Ponting and Damien Martyn then saw Australia through till stumps, at which pointthey were only 49 shy of the Indian score. It was the first time in the series that Australia had dominated the day with both bat and ball.Wisden Asia Cricket
India’s 10-wicket loss in the first National Bank Series Test has not gone down well at home.Early reaction has condemned the highly-touted Indian batting line-up for failing to adapt to the conditions, which were not unreasonable.Some of the newspaper reaction follows:The Hindu: “Gone with the wind. That was the plight of the Indians in this windy city, following a batting performance that was deeply disappointing and shocking.”When the first National Bank Test was still in the balance, a star-studded line-up got skittled out in 38.1 overs for 121, on a seaming track with bounce, that any visiting team should only expect to encounter in New Zealand.”It was a display bereft of character, determination and application, and that which lacked the will to fight, especially after the bowlers, led by the lion-hearted Zaheer Khan, who registered his first five-wicket haul, had restricted New Zealand to 247, providing India more than a glimmer of hope.”The opening Test of the National Bank series here at the Basin Reserve thus finished well inside three days on Saturday.”With Stephen Fleming’s men, requiring just 36 to take the lead in the series, openers Mark Richardson and Lou Vincent knocked off the runs without much fuss.”With a sizable holiday crowd roaring in delight, Richardson cracked Ashish Nehra to the point boundary to make New Zealand’s 300th Test a memorable one for the host.”And The Hindu columnist, former Indian opening batsman Kris Srikkanth said: “This was an atrocious batting performance, and I still cannot believe that we batted so poorly. Just goes to prove that we are extremely vulnerable when the ball seams and bounces.”From the Indian display it becomes obvious that we have only two world-class batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who are capable of adapting to such pitches. There is far too much hype about the others.”What’s happening now is that, for purely commercial interests, the Indian side is being hyped up, and the expectation among the people becomes ridiculously high.”All these ratings, there are so many of them now, have no meaning unless they are backed by matching performances by our cricketers when it counts.”We tend to get carried away by performances at home; easily forgetting that the real test for any batsman is how he fares in conditions like that prevailed in Wellington.”Indian Express: “Repeating the same mistakes which spelt their doom in the first innings, India’s formidable batting line-up crumbled for the second time in three days as the visitors crashed to a humiliating 10-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the first Test on Saturday.”The Indians gave an extremely poor account of themselves as they managed to bat just 96.5 overs in two innings to suffer one of their worst defeats in recent times allowing the hosts to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.”After pace spearhead Zaheer Khan captured his first five-wicket haul to restrict New Zealand’s first innings lead to 86 runs, the batsmen put in an appalling display to be bundled out for a paltry 121 in just 38.1 overs on a Basin Reserve pitch which had eased out considerably.”
The International Cricket Council needs more powers to deal withissues like match-fixing and the refusal of countries to play againstcertain opponents, ICC chief Malcolm Gray said in Sharjah on Tuesday.Gray, in Sharjah for a brief stop en route to London to attend nextweek’s ICC annual general meeting, said the ICC needs sweeping powersin almost every area and vowed to take steps to eliminate matchfixing.”We hope and strive to get more powers to control the gameeffectively,” he told reporters at the Sharjah Stadium. He wasreferring to match-fixing scandals plaguing the game worldwide andIndia’s refusal to play traditional rivals Pakistan at some offshorevenues, the latest being in Sharjah in April.Gray praised the anti-corruption report submitted last month by formerScotland Yard chief Sir Paul Condon, adding the report would be takenup at the ICC meeting. “This meeting will be a key moment in cricket’sfightback against match-fixing as members from around the worldreaffirm their commitment to a corruption-free culture. No one shoulddoubt our determination to achieve this aim. After the meeting, theICC will announce what action it intends to take.”Gray said points accrued during a Test cricket championship serieswill be deducted from countries that refuse to play with others “forpolitical or other reasons
Sunderland are still in with a shot of ending their four-year stay in the third tier of English football this season as they attempt to win promotion.
The Black Cats have been stuck in League One since 2018 and are currently seventh in the table as it stands, two points behind the play-off places.
Scottish striker Ross Stewart has been crucial to the club’s promotion charge, regularly firing in goals throughout the campaign. Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley dubbed him “the best forward in the division” and his tally of 22 goals suggests that he is certainly right up there with the best finishers in the league.
However, the Wearsiders may face a tricky situation with him in the summer…
Shocker
Premier League side Norwich have been linked with a swoop for the Scotland international at the end of the season and this should set the alarm bells ringing at the Stadium of Light.
Whilst the Canaries are bottom of the top flight and facing relegation to the Championship, they should still be in a good position in the second tier next term. They have the likes of Max Aarons, Teemu Pukki and Tim Krul in their squad and can offer Stewart the chance to fight for promotion back to the top tier.
Meanwhile, Sunderland will only be able to offer him League One football or a starring role in a newly-promoted team in the Championship. This suggests that a move to Norwich could be tempting for the centre-forward, and the Wearside club may not be able to command a significant fee for him as he will only have one year left on his contract.
Kristjaan Speakman is therefore facing a transfer shocker heading into the summer. The Black Cats supremo must do everything in his power to extend the 25-year-old’s deal so that the club are not in a terrible negotiating position if Norwich come calling.
They may not be able to reject a bid from the Canaries in the knowledge that he would be able to depart from the Stadium of Light for nothing in 2023, whereas pinning him down to fresh terms will allow them to hold their own and demand a big fee for him.
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This means that they would either deter clubs from attempting to snap up Stewart or they would land a significant payday and be able to use that money to source a replacement. Speakman must now get to work on agreeing an extension with the £2.7k-per-week gem in order to prevent a summer shocker.
AND in other news, Sold at £9m, now worth £720k: Sunderland played a blinder with “unit” whose career has flopped…
India and Sri Lanka have been fined for slow over-rates during their CB Series match in Adelaide on Tuesday. Jeff Crowe, the match referee, imposed the fines after the two sides were found to be one and two overs short of their targets, respectively, when when time allowances were taken into consideration.In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing over-rate penalties, players are fined 5% their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was fined 10% of his match fee, with each of his team-mates receiving 5% fines. Mahela Jayawardene was fined 20% and the rest of his players 10% of their match fees.”The over-rates for all teams in this series so far have been pedestrian at times with teams failing to complete their full quota of overs in the stipulated time on several occasions,” said Crowe. “Allowances and early finishes have meant players have been fortunate to escape fines in previous matches and this is an area that all the sides need to give further attention to and improve upon.
Talat Ali, Pakistan’s manager, blamed the team’s miserable World Cup performance on the paucity of their batting displays, as the probe launched to investigate Pakistan’s latest failure continued into its second week.”Our batsmen failed to set an imposing total against minnows Ireland besides failing to chase an achievable target set by the West Indies,” Talat told reporters after giving his statement before the performance evaluation committee headed by Ijaz Butt, Salahuddin Ahmed and Salim Altaf.None of Pakistan’s much-vaunted middle order trio made even a half-century; only Shoaib Malik and Imran Nazir crossed fifty in the three matches. Talat added that had the batsmen shown their potential, Pakistan would have advanced from the group stage.Referring to the last-minute withdrawals of fast bowling pair Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, Talat acknowledged that preparations for the tournament were far from ideal.”We went to the West Indies with 13 players and among them Shahid Afridi was not available for the first two matches, due to a ban. Therefore I think it was not an ideal situation for any team to prepare themselves for such a huge contest.”Of the media manager, PJ Mir’s assertions that the squad was focused more on religion than cricket, Talat refused to comment, adding only that, “I would not like to comment but will say that prayers have their own worth and cricket has its own.”Tauqir Zia, former chairman, also appeared before the committee and seconded Talat’s remarks that the issue of Shoaib and Asif created problems during preparations.There will be no further proceedings in Lahore after Shaharyar Khan, another former chairman, did not confirm his appearance to the PCB. Shaharyar was expected to appear today but instead asked the committee to send him a list of questions in advance.The committee will proceed to Karachi now to meet Wasim Bari, former chief of the selection committee, one of its members Iqbal Qasim, and more current and former cricketers.They will then head to Islamabad before announcing its findings, expected before the end of the month.