Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler is confident that his side will successfully defend their World Twenty20 title

Cricinfo staff17-Apr-2010Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, is confident that his side will successfully defend their title during the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies.”I only know that Pakistan are favourites and we will win the World Cup” Asif told PakPassion.net. “The training camp has been very good preparation for all of the boys. Yes it’s been hard work, but I believe it will definitely help ahead of the World Cup in the West Indies. The preparation for such an important tournament has to be spot on.”The fast bowler was full of praise for Waqar Younis, the side’s bowling coach. “Waqar has been very helpful with his thoughts on my bowling. He analyses the art of bowling very well and has constantly provided me with feedback, advice and support. We have worked together on some new things, a few variations here and there, and they have worked out very well.”The camp has provided me with an opportunity to once again work with one of Pakistan’s greatest ever cricketers. We had already worked together on the tours of New Zealand and Australia and we have continued in Lahore the work that we put in on those tours. Waqar hasn’t spotted any major technical flaws in my bowling, but as I said, we have worked on some minor adjustments and new ideas here and there,” Asif said.The bowler revealed his game-plan in the shortest format involved being one step ahead of the batsman. “Twenty20 cricket is totally different from the other versions of the game and as a bowler I believe you have to try and out-think the batsman. My objective is to outsmart the batsman, try and be one step ahead of your opponent. This form of the game is mentally very tough as a bowler and I always try to dodge the batsman,” he said.Asif said he was ready to take on different responsibilities with the ball, depending on the requirement. “I am prepared to bowl whenever the captain or the team needs me to. In twenty-over cricket you know the batting side is looking to attack you continuously. If the team needs me to bowl four overs at the start, I am happy to do that, if they want me to bowl some of my spell at the start and then come back later in the innings, I am more than happy to do that for my team and skipper.”What I do look to do is to try and get an early breakthrough for my team, as I feel that if you get early wickets you put the opposition onto the back foot. They have to reassess their strategy and the new batsmen will have to come in and will realise that they have already lost one or two top order batsmen,” he said.

Chris Jordan, Surrey’s highly-rated 21-year-old allrounder, could miss the first 10 weeks of the season due to a back problem

Cricinfo staff06-Apr-2010Chris Jordan, Surrey’s highly-rated 21-year-old allrounder, could miss the first 10 weeks of the season due to a back problem.He is two weeks into a six-week rehabilitation programme, after which he will be carefully guided back to match fitness. Surrey have said it could be up to a further six weeks before Jordan is fit enough for selection, but he may be available within a fortnight of the rehab programme ending.Barbados-born Jordan was troubled by the back problem last season after suffering a stress fracture earlier in his career. Chris Adams, the Surrey coach, said they will be patient with his recovery. “We’re working towards his career and improving his career from this point in time. He carries the tag of great potential. It’s been a really frustrating time for him, frustrating for us as well. We certainly want that talent out on the field.”But let’s hope that we’ve finally got to the bottom of something. His bulging disc through this period will have time to rest but I’m quietly confident that we are doing everything we possibly can now.”

Senior BCCI functionaries met the top brass of IMG in Mumbai today to question their role in the various allegations related to the IPL

Nagraj Gollapudi17-May-2010Senior BCCI functionaries, including Shashank Manohar (president) and N Srinivasan (secretary) met the top brass of IMG in Mumbai on Monday to seek clarifications on their role in the various allegations related to the IPL. The meeting was described by Andrew Wildblood, IMG’s senior vice-president, as “brief, friendly and constructive.”IMG, one of the top global sports management firms, has been a key part of the IPL since its inception, primarily involved in areas such as formulating the franchise bidding, player contracts and auctions, the media rights issues, the broadcast rights and especially the day-to-day running of the league. Its role in the running of the league has come into question since the suspension of Lalit Modi as the IPL chairman. It was expected that the board would clarify whether IMG was aware of Modi’s alleged misdemeanours, including the charges related to rigging of the initial bids for a couple of franchises in 2008.The IMG team in Mumbai also included its senior legal counsels Paul Manning and John Laffhagen, the latter having drafted the player contracts.Manohar had seemingly pointed fingers at IMG immediately after the IPL governing council meeting on April 26, saying the council trusted Modi and the IMG to run the league in a professional manner. He was responding to a query about the culpability of the council in the IPL mess.”An institution functions on trust,” Manohar had said. “If you are expecting every governing council member to come here every morning at 10 and leave at 10 in the night to look at what is happening everywhere, then we don’t need the other staff which is there. Then we don’t need to pay IMG Rs 27 crore [approx $6 million] and we don’t need a CEO to run the IPL. It is their job to do all these things.”This is not the first time IMG has been caught in a web of controversy. The board was unhappy with the original deal signed by the IPL with IMG which involved a management fee of 10% of tournament revenue. IMG was paid Rs 43 crore after IPL 1 and Rs 33 crore after the tournament was shifted to South Africa in 2009. The board then asked IMG to submit a revised proposal but the latter failed to do so within the stipulated deadline and hence the contract was terminated in 2008. Eventually the contract was re-negotiated and both parties settled for a figure of Rs 27 crore as annual payment from the third season.Apart from the IPL controversy, the board was also expected to question IMG’s role in the proposed “parallel IPL” in the UK, a charge that was pressed by Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman recently. Clarke alleged that Modi was trying to induce counties to set-up a rebel Twenty20 league that would undermine the ECB. The reason IMG got dragged into the imbroglio was because of the presence of two of its senior officials – Wildblood and Peter Griffiths (director of operations) at the March 31 meeting, where Modi met representatives from Lancashire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire.IMG vehemently denied their role in setting up any such league and clarified through a statement that they had just facilitated a meeting between Modi and the counties. The BCCI issued a second show-cause to Modi in the Clarke affair, asking him to submit his reply in 15 days. The deadline expires on May 21.

Sri Lanka’s sports minister, Chandrasiri Bandara Ratnayake, has called Sri Lanka Cricket the third most corrupt institution in the country

Cricinfo staff31-May-2010Sri Lanka’s sports minister, Chandrasiri Bandara Ratnayake, has called Sri Lanka Cricket the third most corrupt institution in the country, and has promised to revamp the way the game is administered, even if it means replacing the incumbent members.Addressing a press conference in Colombo in the presence of Aravinda de Silva, the newly appointed chairman of selectors, Ratnayake said he would replace the current interim committee headed by former Test player Somachandra de Silva, next week. Ratnayake had a problem with the way finances were handled by the committee, adding that there was a lot of wastage of resources.”The first and second are education and police. Sri Lanka Cricket is the third-most corrupt institution in the country,” Ratnayake said.Ratnayake swung in to action last week when he replaced the previous selection panel, headed by Ashantha de Mel, with the one now with Aravinda at the helm. Ranjith Fernando, Amal Silva and Shabbir Asgerally are the other members of the new panel. The outgoing panel was accused of favoritism, and Ratnayake said the new panel will not entertain any political influence.Ratnayake said the most important target for the new panel is the World Cup in the subcontinent next year. “Aravinda has nine months to prepare and groom a squad that is capable of winning the World Cup,” Ratnayake said. “We have not won the Cup since 1996, my aim is to win another title for our country.”

Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, has said that he will continue to represent his home state, Kerala, in the Ranji Trophy

Cricinfo staff15-Jun-2010Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, has said that he will continue to represent his home state, Kerala, in the Ranji Trophy. He had earlier hinted at the possibility of switching states for the 2010-11 domestic season.”I always want to represent the Indian team as a Keralite and I will continue to play for Kerala”, he said in Thiruvananthapuram.Sreesanth had been included in Kerala’s 25-man preliminary squad but was not named captain. “Though I have not taken a final decision,I might opt for playing for another state in the coming season,” he had told PTI at the time. “Even if I play for some other state, it is because I want to play more cricket, so that I could do well and get into team India.”However, he said that he would stick with Kerala. “I only mentioned my opinion during an interview and nothing more to be attributed to it. Series and matches are coming and I am working hard to be part of the [Indian] team.”

Until the final lap of the chase, it was Leeward Islands who seemed ahead but Kieron Pollard killed the contest in his own inimitable style

Cricinfo staff25-Jul-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKieron Pollard smashed seven sixes in a 20-ball 53•Nicholas Reid/West Indies Cricket Board

Until the final leg of the chase, Leeward Islands appeared to be ahead the contest but Kieron Pollard won the match in his own inimitable style, steering Trinidad & Tobago to their second successive victory of the tournament.When Pollard entered the scene, T&T needed 80 from 41 deliveries. Until then, they had struggled; the top order had collapsed and Dwayne Bravo was cautious as he tried to rebuild. Runs were at a premium but it was exactly the sort of situation that made Pollard the Twenty20 star that he is. And in a blink of an eye the chase was over. Most of his seven sixes either flew deep into the stands or clattered on the roof but Pollard still gave the impression that he was playing within himself.Pollard began his attack in the 15th over bowled by spinner Justin Athanaze. There is a theory that Pollard isn’t great against quality spin and Athanaze had conceded only 12 runs in three overs and had also picked the wicket of Darren Ganga. Pollard, however, pulled him to fine leg for four before dragging a six over midwicket and collecting another six with a dismissive waft over long off. He was just beginning to warm up. Bravo scored three boundaries off Wilden Cornwall in the next over before Pollard swung back into action in the 17th. It was a massacre: Tonito Willet was pummelled for four sixes – the ball ricocheted of the midwicket roof, the crowd at long on watched the ball fly over them twice and he finished off with a dragged six over square leg. Game over.Just before Pollard turned it on, Denesh Ramdin had revived the chase with a breezy innings. The plan was straightforward: Bravo would bat through, Ramdin would hit out and Pollard would take care of the rest. In the 13th over, Ramdin went after Gavin Tonge, who had picked two top-order wickets, by hitting a six over midwicket and two on-side boundaries. Ramdin fell in the next over but Pollard took over in style.Until the Pollard blitz, Leewards had had a fairly good day. Javier Liburd, the opener, had taken on T&T’s spinners and laid a fair foundation. He lifted Dave Mohammed to the long-off and midwicket boundary and cut Samuel Badree to point for more fours. Although he fell, playing all around a full delivery from Sherwin Ganga, Kerry Mentore took over and guided Leewards to a healthy total. Mentore crashed Sherwin Ganga to the roof on the straight boundary, mowed Pollard over midwicket and found support from the lower-middle order as Leewards raced to 161. For nearly 15 overs into the chase, it seemed a stiff target before Pollard stamped his presence on the game.

Sri Lanka’s attempt to compile a massive first-innings score and pressurize India were put on hold as the entire second day in Galle was washed out due to intermittent showers

Cricinfo staff19-Jul-2010Sri Lanka’s attempt to compile a massive first-innings score and pressurise India was put on hold as the entire second day in Galle was washed out due to intermittent showers. Overnight rain had ensured there was no play possible before lunch, and the conditions deteriorated further with bad light and sporadic downpours. There was a period when the covers came off after a dose of sunshine, but an inspection scheduled for 2.30pm never happened as the rain refused to relent.The hosts had reached a dominant position at the end of the first day, finishing on 256 for 2, with centuries from captain Kumar Sangakkara and opener Tharanga Paranavitana, who is still batting. With Mahela Jayawardene giving Paranavitana company, and Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews and Prasanna Jayawardene to follow, things look bleak for the Indian team. Spectators who had flocked to the Galle International Stadium on the first day in the hope of watching Muttiah Muralitharan bowl in his final Test were made to wait longer. Play is scheduled to resume at 9.30am on Tuesday, weather permitting.

Jacques Rudolph continued his phenomenal Clydesdale Bank 40 form as Yorkshire Carnegie extended their lead at the top of Group B with a five-run win over Middlesex Panthers at Scarborough

22-Aug-2010

ScorecardSouth African Jacques Rudolph continued his phenomenal Clydesdale Bank 40 form as Yorkshire Carnegie extended their lead at the top of Group B with a five-run win over Middlesex Panthers in front of a packed 6,500-strong crowd at Scarborough. The prolific left-handed opener went into the game as the competition’s leading scorer with 518 runs at an average of 85.50 and he completed his third century of the season with an unbeaten 124 off 108 balls.His highly-polished innings guided Yorkshire to 250 for 6 and put them on track for their ninth win in 10 games with just two group matches still to play, with Middlesex making a valiant attempt but finishing on 245 for 8.Yorkshire all-rounder Richard Pyrah was presented with his first-team cap by captain Andrew Gale shortly before the match began, but Ajmal Shahzad had to pull out because of a recurrence of the ankle injury which kept him out of the England squad. Tim Bresnan, who has been included in the England squad for the final Test against Pakistan, took his place in the side.Winning the toss, Yorkshire were given a good start by Gale, who made 36 out of 50 inside eight overs before Toby Roland-Jones claimed the first of his three wickets when the captain skied him to Tom Scollay on the square leg boundary. Adam Lyth did not last long on his home ground but Anthony McGrath then joined Rudolph – dropped by wicketkeeper John Simpson when on 10 – in a third-wicket partnership which contributed 138 in 23 overs.The stand was ended by Tim Murtagh, who also grabbed three wickets, McGrath falling to a catch on the rope by Dawid Malan after striking 68 off 75 balls with six fours. Middlesex checked the scoring for a while with three wickets going down in as many overs in the third powerplay but Rudolph glided to his century from 98 balls with nine boundaries and remained firmly in control until the overs expired.Opener Scott Newman kept Middlesex in the hunt with a powerful 77 from 70 balls with five fours and three sixes, and he and John Simpson had put on 47 for the first wicket in nine overs when Simpson fell lbw to Adil Rashid’s first ball. Newman and Owais Shah then added 54 together before McGrath too picked up a wicket with his first ball by knocking back Shah’s stumps and when Malan was bowled attempting to reverse sweep Rashid, Middlesex were 135 for 3.Two runs later, Bresnan yorked Newman and Middlesex stumbled until Neil Dexter was joined by Roland-Jones in a last-gasp ninth-wicket stand which added 51 from 37 balls, Dexter reaching his half-century from 39 deliveries with six boundaries. McGrath was recalled to bowl the last over with 13 required and Middlesex were unable to manage the boundaries they required to cross the line.

Warwickshire secured County Championship Division One safety on Thursday with a comprehensive 10-wicket win over Hampshire at the Rose Bowl

16-Sep-2010
ScorecardWarwickshire secured County Championship Division One safety on Thursday with a comprehensive 10-wicket win over Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. Chris Woakes, with 5 for 34, caused the damage as Hampshire, resuming at the start of their second innings 85 runs behind, could only manage 132 all out.Jimmy Adams was the first to depart for the hosts, caught behind to give Woakes his first victim of the day. Fellow opener Michael Carberry lasted just a few more deliveries before snicking Keith Miller behind to leave Hants in trouble at 13 for 2.Worse was to follow as Australia’s Phil Hughes stay at the crease lasted a solitary boundary for four before he was trapped leg before by Woakes. The in-form seamer had his third wicket of the day soon after when Hampshire’s first-innings saviour Liam Dawson departed for just nine – the fourth of Hampshire’s top four to fail to reach double figures.Wicketkeeper Michael Bates maintained the Hampshire upper orders dreadful run of scores when he became another Woakes dismissal. The unenviable clean sweep of single-figure scores for the home side’s top six was soon complete – youngster James Vince was trapped lbw by Darren Maddy to leave Hants reeling at 44 for 6 – still 41 runs short of making Warwickshire bat again.The wicket brought Sean Ervine to the crease with fellow experienced campaigner Dominic Cork but even their wise heads could muster no more than a 10 run partnership before Maddy had Cork caught by Rikki Clarke.Ervine, aware that the responsibility for Hampshire reaching a respectable total lay solely with him, began to play with freedom, cutting and driving powerfully. In tandem with James Tomlinson, they added 22 before Imran Tahir tempted Tomlinson into snicking to give Clarke his second catch of the innings.Ervine was now swinging from the hip in his bid to make Warwickshire bat again and with the dogged Danny Briggs, raced to a quick-fire half century from just 44 balls, with six fours and two sixes.But after the pair had put on 56 for the ninth wicket, Briggs’ resistance was finally ended when he was trapped by a quicker Tahir delivery for 11. Ervine’s innings followed seconds later as he skied an attempted slog to give Woakes a simple return catch and his fifth wicket of the innings as Hants set Warwickshire a paltry 48-run victory target.Openers Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood knocked the runs off without alarm as Warwickshire ended a disappointing County Championship season in style.

A round-up of the action from the second day of the ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge where West Indies, South Africa and Sri Lanka all recorded victories

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2010
Scorecard
Helmien Rambaldo’s 67 for Netherlands women was in vain against Sri Lanka women•International Cricket Council

South Africa humbled Pakistan at the Witrand Cricket Field in Potchefstroom, winning by seven wickets with almost 20 overs to spare. Opting to field, they made steady inroads into the Pakistan batting. After top-scorer Nain Abidi was dismissed for 30 to leave Pakistan at 83 for 4, there was no stopping the slide. Offspinner Sunette Loubser grabbed three wickets and Pakistan wilted, bowled out for 123. Wicketkeeper-batsman Trisha Chetty anchored South Africa’s reply, making a steady, unbeaten 60 to see her team through to its second straight win in the competition.
Scorecard
West Indies eased to their second consecutive win of the competition, thrashing Ireland by 166 runs in Potchefstroom. West Indies had begun the tournament on a high, seeing off Netherlands women by 148 runs and bettered that effort on Thursday with Stafanie Taylor, yet again, emerging their star. Opening the batting, she struck 72, an innings laced with six fours, and was supported in a 95-run stand for the third wicket by captain Merissa Aguilleira (44). Both were dismissed off successive deliveries in the 33rd over but Deandra Dottin, the first woman to score a Twenty20 century, stepped up to smash 72 off 59 balls and propel the West Indies score to 275.The start to Ireland’s chase was encouraging, with the openers Clare Shillington and Cecelia Joyce adding 66. But then began the slide, as left-arm seamer Shanel Daley removed the opening pair and set about shutting Ireland out of the game. There was plenty of support from the rest of the bowlers; Anisa Mohammed and Taylor, with their offspin, made inroads, grabbing two wickets each to help West Indies surge to another comprehensive win. Ireland were bowled out for 110, no other batsman, after the departure of the openers, managed to score more than 10.
Scorecard
Sri Lanka opened their account in the tournament with a comfortable win over Netherlands at the North-West University No.1 Ground in Potchefstroom. Their decision to bat was justified by a solid start provided by opener Hiruka Fernando and an attacking innings by Suwini de Alwis, who top-scored with 73, striking nine fours. Sandamali Dolawatta steadied things when Sri Lanka had appeared to lose their way towards the end of their innings with an unbeaten 48. She struck just one four in her knock but kept scoring at a good pace during her 61-ball stay. Sri Lanka managed 245, which proved more than adequate.Netherlands tried to put up a fight, captain Helmien Rambaldo scoring 67, adding 65 for the second wicket with opener Violet Wattenberg and a further 71 for the third wicket with Annemarie Tanke. However, those runs took too much time to accumulate and Netherlands struggled to match the increasing run-rate. Sri Lanka captain Shashikala Siriwardene removed her counterpart to make it 153 for 4 and Netherlands eventually ended up short, finishing on 195 for 8.