Kent batsman Tony Pawson dies

The former Kent batsman Tony Pawson, who became the Observer cricket correspondent, has died at the age of 91.

Pawson played 69 first-class matches, mostly for Kent and Oxford University, scoring seven hundreds as he made 3807 runs at 37.32. He was Kent's oldest surviving capped player.

As a 15-year-old, in 1937, he scored 237 at Lord's when playing for a Lord's XI against a CF Tufnell's XI and in 1947 he represented MCC against the South Africans playing in a team alongside Denis Compton

Cricket was not the only sport where he made his name. He won a blue at Oxford, represented England at football and at the 1948 London Olympics as well as playing two football league matches for Charlton Athletic. In 1982 he was a member of the England fly fishing team that won the World Championship and in 1988 was awarded on OBE for services to angling.

Kent's honorary curator, David Robertson, said: "Tony Pawson enjoyed his cricket, and set out to make sure spectators shared that enjoyment. I have many happy boyhood memories of his batting and fielding at Canterbury. His running between the wickets, especially with Godfrey Evans as his partner, was always an eagerly awaited feature of the game."

Jamie Clifford, the Kent chief executive, added: "The club is saddened to learn news of Tony Pawson's passing and our thoughts are with his family and friends. Tony made a great contribution to Kent Cricket and many of our members have fond memories of watching him play at the St Lawrence Ground."

During his time as a cricket correspondent he was also chairman of the Cricket Writers' Club in 1980 and 1981.

Nepal, UAE share ACC Elite title after thrilling tie

United Arab Emirates 241 for 6 (Saqib 101*, Khurram 61, Gauchan 3-36) tied with Nepal 241 for 9 (Khakurel 55, Mandal 44)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

After a thrilling tied final in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates and Nepal shared the Asian Cricket Council Elite Trophy. Saqib Ali led UAE's recovery from 24 for 3 to help them post 241, a target that looked in Nepal's sight after their 94-run opening stand. However, they kept losing wickets consistently, and eventually needed 12 off the last over with just two wickets in hand. Shakti Gauchan, who had taken three wickets earlier, smacked Shadeep Silva's left-arm for a six, but could manage only one run off the last ball.

UAE's innings was the opposite of Nepal's. They got off to a horrible start, and were 70 for 4 after 19.5 overs. That brought together captain Khurram Khan and Saqib, who have both played ODIs for UAE. They added 87 for the fifth wicket, but the big push arrived only in the last four overs that went for 46 runs. Saqib was only 88 going into the last over of the innings, but hit Basanta Regmi for a six and a four off the last two balls to bring up his century.

UAE carried the momentum into the second innings, but Subash Khakurel and Anil Mandal got Nepal's chase off to a solid start. However, they lost their way in the middle of the innings, going from 165 for 2 to 222 for 8. Sharad Vesawkar, who came in at 165 for 4, held the chase together with wickets falling all around him. He even managed his unbeaten 38 at better than a run a ball.

However, when a splendid piece of fielding from Saqib ran Binod Bhandari out, Nepal still needed 20 off 17, and had just two wickets in hand. Gauchan practically blocked out the 48th over, and they now needed 18 off the last two. Khurram went with his quick man, Arshad Ali, for the 19th over, and conceded just six runs. That increased the pressure, but Nepal also had slight opportunity: a spinner was to bowl the last over.

Gauchan played out another dot before two singles brought it down to 10 off 3. He then swung hard at Silva, and managed to clear long-on. Silva erred again next ball by fumbling on a run-out opportunity, allowing the batsmen to steal a couple after hitting straight to long-on. Another such mistake, and the title would be Nepal's. Gauchan this time hit to long-off; UAE made no mistake, and honours were even after a hard-fought match.

CLT20 'anything but ideal' - Inverarity

John Inverarity, Australia's national selector, has admitted the Champions League T20 is hindering preparations for the first Test against South Africa next month.

A large group of key players - Shane Watson, David Warner, Mike Hussey, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Brad Haddin - are taking part in the CLT20 and it means those players will only have one Sheffield Shield match before the first Test.

"It is anything but an ideal preparation," Inverarity told News Ltd. "You just have to do your best but having the Champions League where it is now is not in the best interests of good preparation for the first Test."

Although Australia's top six is fairly stable after the tour of West Indies earlier this year, and is unlikely to change for the start of the South Africa series, the selectors are still trying to decide their best combination of fast bowlers. This is where the Champions League is adding to their problems by restricting the amount of red-ball cricket for Starc, Hilfenhaus and Cummins.

Cummins is unlikely to feature before the third Test, at Perth, due to his lack of first-class cricket over the last year and worries about him breaking down. "For some time you will not see him play three Tests in a row," Inverarity added.

At this stage Peter Siddle, who is currently playing Shield cricket for Victoria, is the only nailed on member of the bowling attack although is expected to be joined by Hilfenhaus and Nathan Lyon, despite the offspinner's tough start to the season for South Australia, which leaves Starc and James Pattinson vying for the third fast bowler's spot.

Pattinson took 6 for 32 in the recent Shield match against Queensland but Starc also has strong form behind him after a productive time with Yorkshire during the English season and an impressive World Twenty20 where he claimed 10 wickets at six matches.

Inverarity said: "He's been terrific. There is an advantage if you pick your best left-armer."

The other spot that needs to be decided on is who takes the wicketkeeper's gloves. Matthew Wade is the man in possession, after playing against West Indies earlier this year after being called up to replace Haddin who had to return home, and hit a maiden Test hundred in the final match of the series in Dominica.

However, Haddin started the season with 114 against Tasmania to put his name back in the frame. "We will be talking together on the wicketkeeping next week and that is one of the things we will be discussing," Inverarity said.

Habib Bank, State Bank register comfortable wins

Seamer Ehsan Adil and left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam took nine wickets between them in Water and Power Development Authority's chase of 336 to power Habib Bank to a 184-run victory in the President's Trophy in Lahore. Aslam ripped through the top order before Adil, who ended with nine wickets in the match, mopped up the lower order as WPDA lost seven wickets for 41 runs. Opener Mohammad Ibrahim was their highest scorer with 46 runs.

This bowling performance steered the match towards Habib Bank, as in the entire game before, the contest was largely even. Although there wasn't any century, six half-centuries and four scores of more than 40 by the team in the match helped both sides to match their opponent's scores.

Habib Bank, after put in to bat, started well with a 94 from No. 3 Shan Masood and 84 from Usman Salahuddin, as the duo added 149 runs for the third wicket, the highest in the match. But they slipped from 225 for three to 228 for seven, to finally be bowled out for 288. Junaid Khan accounted for maximum damage, with six middle-order scalps.

His team, though, was in trouble early in their innings, as they were reduced to 13 for seven before Bilal Khilji led their recovery with a 75, as seven single-digit scores hurt them in their innings of 235. Adil took four wickets.

Habib Bank's second innings was based on consistent batting from the middle order. Three fifties and two scores of more than 30 took them to 282, and an overall lead of 335 proved enough for victory eventually.

In Faisalabad, legspinner Yasir Shah bowled Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to a commanding 219-run victory over Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) with a six-wicket haul. Chasing 304, KRL were all out for 84, with a 36-run stand being the only resistance put up by them as Shah mopped up the tail. Their first-innings score of 183 also hurt them, as they fell behind in the match with a deficit of 108 runs.

Fast bowler Samiullah Khan was responsible for most of the damage done in that innings, as he took six wickets. The highest score in the innings, 32, scored by Saeed Anwar junior, turned out to be the highest score for KRL in the match.

For SNGPL, a confident batting performance with effective contributions from the top and middle order helped them to 291. Mohammad Hafeez was their major star, with a 95 in their second innings, as their first-innings lead enabled them to make a declaration at 195 for four. The 300-plus target proved far beyond KRL.

Despite National Bank of Pakistan's spirited chase of 390, led by captain Fawad Alam's unbeaten 112, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) inflicted an 84-run defeat in Sialkot. The 150-run first-innings deficit proved decisive as NBP's chase was kept alive by the lower order led by Wahab Riaz, who scored a fifty and stuck with his captain, adding 88 runs for the eighth wicket. But at 275 for eight, Junaid Zia helped ZTBL snatch victory by taking the last two wickets for 18 runs.

The victory was set up by their commanding batting in their first innings. Opener Sharjeel Khan scored a century, and Atif Ashraf and Zohaib Khan were dismissed for 79 and 80 respectively to take them to 372. Although NBP started their reply strongly to be 171 for three at a stage, their innings fell thereafter, courtesy wickets off seamers Mohammad Khalil and Rehan Riaz to be dismissed for 222.

A 92 by opener Afaq Raheem and a 57 by fellow opener Sharjeel Khan laid the base for a strong second-innings total by ZTBL. They lost their way towards the end of their innings, but at 239 for eight, decided to declare. NBP gave them a scare, falling short of the target by 85 runs.

State Bank of Pakistan's confident chase of 200, led by half-centuries by captain and opener Kashim Siddiq and Usman Saeed, took them to a six-wicket win against Port Qasim Authority (PQA) at the National Stadium in Karachi. In a low-scoring game, with five fifties in the match, PQA were dismissed for 160 in their second innings, helped by a total of seven wickets between left-arm spinner Hasan Maqbool and offspinner Adnan Rasool, for SBP to end up with a gettable target.

PQA, after electing to bat, scored a modest 218 with half-centuries from opener Shahzaib Hasan and Umar Amin. Seven single-digit scores couldn't allow them to a strong total to be in a strong position early in the match. Maqbool was the highest wicket-taker with four wickets - he eventually ended up with eight wickets in the match - in a collective bowling effort by SBP.

They, however, kept losing wickets in their reply, and apart from contributions from Gulraiz Sadaf, who scored 50, and Mohtashim Ali, no one provided any resistance to PQA's bowling. Seamer Abdur Rauf took four wickets. PQA's low second-innings total pegged them back, and SBP seized the chance to chase a small target.

A low first-innings total of 125 hurt United Bank Limited as they were defeated by 69 runs by Pakistan International Airlines at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex in Karachi. Chasing 312, they were bowled out for 242, which had contributions mainly from No. 3 Saad Sukhail, who scored 93, Ali Asad and Abid Ali. They lost their last five wickets for 38 runs, which ended the contest.

PIA's second innings score of 222 helped them set a 300-plus target. Although left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti took five wickets and Shabbir Ahmed four, fifties by opener Agha Sabir and captain Kemran Sajid, and a 41 by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed helped them finish strongly.

The turning point, it seemed, was their bowling UBL out for a paltry total in their first innings, with eight single-digit scores to concede a deficit of 89 runs. Akhtar Waheed and seamer Aizaz Cheema took three wickets apiece.

The team's foundation of the match was laid by fifties from opener Shehzad Mohammad and Sarfraz Ahmed, which took them to 214.

Former commentator B Alaganan dies

B Alaganan, who captained Madras (now Tamil Nadu) to their maiden Ranji Trophy title in 1955, has died aged 87. He played six first-class games between 1946 and 1955, batting in the middle order, and was later a well-known radio commentator.

Alaganan served as assistant manager on India's tours to New Zealand and West Indies in 1975-76, and had a stint as selector too. He was also involved in the administration of the game in Tamil Nadu, serving as TNCA vice-president between 1961 to 1986 before taking over as president between 1988 and 1993.

WV Raman, the former opener who captained Tamil Nadu when Alaganan was TNCA president, remembered him fondly. "He was a rare kind of administrator, not the sort who thought he was doing the players a favour," Raman told ESPNcricinfo. "Being a cricketer himself, he could see things from a player's point of view. He was also a very approachable person, and always looked to help the boys out. A great quality in him was that he always wanted to serve the game."

The TNCA praised Alaganan in its condolence note. "Alaganan was a very popular personality in the field of Tamil Nadu cricket," TNCA joint secretary G Natarajan said. "It will not be an exaggeration to call him the 'Prince of Tamil Nadu cricket' because he was one in every sense of the term. His passing away has robbed the TNCA of a senior statesman and it will be a long time before we can recover from this loss."

Majola withdraws from disciplinary hearing

Suspended CSA chief executive Gerald Majola withdrew from his disciplinary hearing on Wednesday and announced through his lawyer that he would approach the country's Labour Court.

Majola is questioning the legitimacy of the Nicholson Committee, an enquiry launched by the sports minister Fikile Mbalula, which led to his suspension and disciplinary action being taken against him. The hearing will continue in Majola's absence and is expected to be completed next week while Majola will launch his challenge in the Labour Court by Monday.

"He would be participating in a process that constitutes a fundamental breach of his constitutional right to fair labour practices," Majola lawyer said in a statement.

The latest action lengthens what has been a three-year long process started by the bonuses paid to Majola and 39 other CSA staff members after the hosting of the 2009 IPL in South Africa. That money - an amount of R4.7 million (then US$ 671,428) - was found to have not been properly declared to the board by three separate commissions of inquiry.

The first was an internal investigation which cleared Majola of any wrongdoing but reprimanding him for making an error of judgement in not following correct corporate governance. A second enquiry done by auditing firm KPMG found the wrongs more serious and suggested that Majola could have broken the law. They recommended CSA seek legal advice, which they did. CSA's board chose to reprimand Majola "severely" in response.

It was then that Mbalula stepped in. He ordered that another investigation must be conducted and vowed to follow the recommendations of his committee to the letter. Judge Chris Nicholson chaired the hearings from December last year to February 2012 and in March, issued his findings. The two most notable ones were that Majola be suspended pending a disciplinary hearing and that CSA restructure its board.

The latter is almost complete. CSA will hold an AGM later this month in which they will appoint a new board consisting of five independent directors to go with five provincial presidents. They may also have to appoint a new chief executive if Majola loses his job after the disciplinary process is complete. Jacques Faul, the acting chief executive, and Haroon Lorgat, the former ICC boss, are believed to be in the running.

Majola's hearing was due to be complete by the end of May but it was delayed when he contested the appointed chairperson. The challenge was successful because John Myburgh, who was to hear the proceedings, made an advisory award against Majola and he was believed not to be impartial in the matter because of that.

Karel Tip was then appointed and the hearing started on Wednesday. However, before the first witness could be called Majola announced that he was withdrawing. The matter is expected to be resolved next week although the Labour Court challenge will take much longer.

Sehwag fit for full Champions League

Virender Sehwag has recovered from his ankle injury and will be fit to play in Delhi Daredevils' opening Champions League 2012 match, against Kolkata Knight Riders, on Saturday. He had played in the franchise's warm-up game on Thursday, against Sydney Sixers.

Daredevils' team mentor, TA Sekar, confirmed that Sehwag was fit, and said that he had obtained fitness clearance before flying to South Africa. A BCCI official said the board had nothing to do with the decision to play Sehwag: "The BCCI has nothing to do with it. It is a franchise tournament and it is for them to take a call."

Sehwag was initially doubtful for the Champions League, after straining a ligament in his left ankle during India's Super Eights match in the World Twenty20 against South Africa in Colombo on October 2. He had gone off the field during South Africa's innings and did not return, and it was reported that he could require two weeks of rest.

His fitness has been suspect over the past year: after the 2011 World Cup he delayed a shoulder surgery, playing the IPL and subsequently missed India's tour of the West Indies and half of the Test series in England. Earlier this year, towards the end of the Australia tour, he had back spasms that forced the selectors to rest him for the Asia Cup.

Sehwag will not captain Delhi Daredevils at the Champions League, having asked the franchise to relieve him of the responsibility so he could concentrate on his batting.

Sohail fifty leads Sialkot home

Sialkot Stallions 144 for 4 (Sohail 63*, Malik 39) beat Hampshire 143 for 8 (Maxwell 42) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

It was a match of no consequence for either team, but Sialkot Stallions will leave South African shores with greater confidence, having put in an all-round performance against the English domestic champions. Two individual performances from youngsters on either side stood out - Haris Sohail's unbeaten 63 the highlight, as it was a match-winning knock. Glenn Maxwell scored a counter-attacking 42 when his team, Hampshire, needed runs, but a score of 143 wasn't imposing enough for Sialkot.

A combined bowling effort by Sialkot kept Hampshire to that score, well short of what Trinidad and Tobago had managed earlier in the day, with only 31 runs scored in the last five overs. Hampshire lost early wickets in search of quick runs, scratched around for the first ten overs, surged in the middle overs thanks to an entertaining cameo from Maxwell but lost their way after his dismissal. It was a pitch that offered something for the spinners and seamers. Sarfraz Ahmed, the tall left-arm seamer with an unusual action, got a few to bounce off a good length to pose questions for the openers. Shoaib Malik got turn and bounce and those that skidded through weren't easy to put away either.

Hampshire would have ideally liked one from the top order to bat through for the majority of the overs, but regular strikes stalled their progress. The run-outs didn't help - they lost two of their top order off direct hits. Hampshire had only managed 59 off the first ten overs and it was up to their overseas picks to give the innings a push.

Maxwell was harsh on the pull, connecting a few off the seamers and sending the ball several rows over the on side. He picked Naved-ul-Hasan for consecutive sixes in an over which yielded 16, and added 56 with Shahid Afridi. However, Sialkot pulled things back with a quiet over by the seamer Bilawal Bhatti, whose skiddy pace kept Maxwell in check. Hampshire were 113 for 4 after 16 overs and in the search for quick runs, both Maxwell and Afridi fell off successive balls off Umaid Asif. The lower order though failed to push the score past 150.

The Sialkot top order didn't look at ease against the Hampshire seamers, limping to 26 for 2 after the Powerplay. A couple of pressure-relieving boundaries by Sohail off the left-armer Chris Wood put Sialkot on the path to stability. It helped to have the experienced Malik at the other end as they calmly pushed the singles in between. Sialkot were 62 for 3 after ten overs, just three ahead of Hampshire's at the same stage.

Malik showed some aggressive intent, charging the left-arm spinner Liam Dawson and launching him for a six and four off consecutive deliveries. Crucially, Sialkot didn't let themselves get bogged down with a boundary drought - the pair ensured they picked up at least one boundary per over on an average. From the 11th to the start of the 18th over, when they were separated, they picked up ten boundaries. It also hurt Hampshire that their most experienced bowler, Afridi, couldn't effect the breakthroughs or stem the flow of runs. Sohail pounced on anything short and wide from Afridi, and by the time the spinner picked up a wicket - that of Malik - Sialkot were well on course needing 20 off 17. Malik's 96-run association with Sohail had all but sealed the game. It was a pity though that the tournament format didn't allow Sialkot to build on the momentum.

Innings	Dot balls	4s	6s	Powerplay	16-20 overs	NB/Wides

Hampshire	61	15	4	42-2	31-4	0/12
Sialkot Stallions	54	17	2	26-2	43-1	0/13

'We're ready to take on the big stage' - Gale

Yesterday, David Miller. Today, Gary Ballance. Tomorrow, maybe Adil Rashid, who has stood alongside both as they engineered Yorkshire's victory. The ability to lean on any of the members of their squad is what captain Andrew Gale thinks will make Yorkshire strong opponents in the main draw of the Champions League.

"It was a fantastic effort from us in both matches," Gale said. "Throughout the competition we are going to come up against real international stars. We've got a really good team spirit. We've done exceptionally well in the domestic competition and we are ready to take on the big stage."

Yorkshire's only overseas player, Miller, will only be available for them come the semi-final which means the team will rely on the home-grown resources and nothing else. Gale's message to his team is to make the most of their opportunity in the tournament proper and not worry about meeting any expectations, because they have already fulfilled them.

"We're looking forward to the rollercoaster. We're going to playing against some of the guys that we watch on TV. We're going to go in with a no-fear attitude and see where it takes us. Even if we lose every single game, that's okay."

Yorkshire's first game will be against the Sydney Sixers and Gale said they were looking forward to playing Mitchell Starc, who was a key part of Yorkshire's T20 squad earlier this year. Next they face the Mumbai Indians, who Gale had a little dig at because of the nature of the IPL franchises.

"We know that some of the teams have been thrown together but we have played together all season," he said. "We don't fear anyone. We can just go into the main tournament with our head held high."

With Hampshire out of the contention, Gale said Yorkshire also see their role as "carrying the flag for English cricket".

Trinidad and Tobago will have no such similar role for West Indies, as they were culled in their first match. With all the goodwill surrounding West Indies cricket after their victory in the World T20 on Sunday, perhaps T&T's exit from the Champions League will not be taken that hard. Denesh Ramdin did not cut too sorry a figure afterwards and simply admitted that things did not go their way.

"We didn't execute our plans as we wanted to," Ramdin said. "We lost early wickets and then we tried to get a partnership, but we didn't execute as well come the latter stages either. We should have prepared better mentally coming to South Africa where the bounce is different."

Although five of the T&T squad were in Sri Lanka until yesterday, Ramdin did not think that affected the team's build-up. "The rest of the guys had one practice game and they lost but I told them to keep their heads up high. All of these guys are professional and we have some very young players as well so hopefully we can take some experience from this and when we go back home we can work on that."

Dispute delays opening of NCL

The National Cricket League has been pushed back by six days and will start on October 20 to kick off the 2012-13 domestic cricket season in Bangladesh. The country's only first-class competition was supposed to start on October 14 but a split formed within Bangladesh Cricket Board directors regarding the number of first-class teams in this year's revamped competition and who would control them.

There was concern among those directors who were nominated from the districts and divisions that due to the introduction of the franchise system to the first-class competition, hitherto under the jurisdiction of divisional cricket authorities, the control of the teams would be shifted to the franchisees. But BCB's senior vice-president Mahbubul Anam, also the head of this tournament's governing council, said that the dilemma will be fixed once the franchisees and the divisional authorities put together an agreement paper and discuss with the board president.

The number of teams has been kept at eight though there were strong arguments to drop Dhaka Metropolis and Rangpur after some directors thought it would be unwise to have some teams under the board's finance with others under the private franchisees. Ultimately however, there are likely to be four franchisees, two of whom - Prime Bank Foundation and Walton - have already signed Memorandum of Understanding with the cricket board earlier this week.

Meanwhile, it was also announced that cricketers who fail to make themselves available for their respective teams without the physio's official report and permission from the BCB will not be considered for selection for the Bangladesh team, while each team will be allowed to recruit and field two overseas first-class cricketers. The match fees have also been doubled, with each member of a playing XI earning Tk 40,000 ($500) per game this season.

The first four games will begin on October 20 before the tournament takes a break due to Eid holidays and will resume in early November.

Curran was 'a team man' - Traicos

Tributes have been paid to Kevin Curran, the former Zimbabwe allrounder, who died on Wednesday at the age of 53. John Traicos, the former offspinner, remembered him as a "dedicated person" while Heath Streak, who was coached by Curran said "nothing was too much for him to try and conquer".

Traicos, a former captain of Curran, was "shocked" to hear the news of his death which occurred when he was out running. He had been told by Duncan Fletcher, another former captain of Zimbabwe and currently the India coach. Curran played the 1983 World Cup where Zimbabwe were led by Fletcher.

"The most shocking thing is, he was incredibly fit. He was a fitness fanatic, he used to be in the gym everyday," Traicos said. "He and Malcolm Jarvis ran a gymnasium in Harare and Kevin was there every day, did everything from weights to aerobics. And he ran a lot. He was very, very competitive and played rugby, tennis and golf. He was a naturally talented guy."

Traicos recollected leading Curran at the Harare Sports Club in the early 1980s. "I had great admiration for Kevin. He was a self-made cricketer," Traicos said. "We had quite a high work ethic in those days and I remember Kevin being a really dedicated guy, who would bowl for hours on the concrete pitches on his own. He had a lovely action, a very nice away swinger and bowl very, very quickly. In 1985, when the Australians came to Zimbabwe, Dean Jones mentioned that Kevin was one of the fastest bowlers he had faced. Kevin was an incredibly talented guy, an allrounder, batted beautifully, really gutsy performer. He was always a team man, an outstanding cricketer. "

Streak, meanwhile, said Curran was desperate to help cricket in Zimbabwe. "He was my bowling coach and we worked together when he was on the selection committee and I became involved in administration. He was always such a positive guy and he always found the best in everything. Nothing was too much for him to try and conquer.

"He lived cricket and he was very passionate about Zimbabwe and helping cricket in the country. His kids also have the same passion and its going to be tough for them now. It's really sad what happened. He was a fit guy, he played squash, he ran four times a week. It's sad."

Messages were also posted on Twitter from current and former players around the world. Curran enjoyed a very successful county career with Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire, playing for the latter until 1999.

Adam Hollioake tweeted: "Sad to hear of Kevin Curran's passing A true competitor & one of my fiercest adversary's...RIP brother my thoughts are with u & ur family.."

Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, wrote: "Thoughts are with his close Family. A wonderful cricketer who would have flourished In the modern era of T20."

Todd Astle in New Zealand Test squad

The uncapped legspinner Todd Astle has been named in New Zealand's Test squad for their upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. Astle will have a strong chance of making his debut in the spin-friendly conditions, given that Jeetan Patel is the only other slow bowler in the squad, with Tarun Nethula having been axed and Daniel Vettori ruled out after suffering an Achilles tendon problem during the World Twenty20.

New Zealand have named a 15-man squad for the two Tests, in Galle and Colombo in the second half of November, and a 15-man group for the one Twenty20 and five ODIs that precede the Tests. Three members of the World T20 squad have not been included for the limited-overs games: the injured Vettori; the fast bowler Doug Bracewell; and the opener Martin Guptill, whose workload is being managed.

The Test squad features the batsman Rob Nicol, who played two Tests against South Africa in March before he was dropped and treated as a limited-overs specialist for the next few months. But the only uncapped player in the group is Astle, the Canterbury legspinner, who has picked up 127 first-class wickets at an average of 34.79 in a career spanning seven seasons.

Astle, 26, was the second-leading spinner in the Plunket Shield last summer, with 31 victims at 38.35, and the national selection manager Kim Littlejohn said his all-round skills gave him the edge ahead of other bowlers.

"He has the ability to contribute in all three facets of the game and deserves his opportunity after a putting in consistent performances over a number of seasons," Littlejohn said of Astle. "Tarun Nethula has missed out on selection this time. We think he would benefit from a return to regular first-class cricket where he can get some overs under his belt and stake his claim for reselection.

Littlejohn also said the wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling was not included in the Test squad as it was considered better for him to be given some game time in the Plunket Shield. "BJ Watling will return to New Zealand after the one-day matches," Littlejohn said. "He has spent a lot of time touring but has had limited opportunities to play and we believe it is best for his development if he's made available for the upcoming Plunket Shield fixtures."

Trent Boult, Andrew Ellis and Tom Latham were all named in the squad for the T20 and ODIs, having not been part of the World T20 group. Littlejohn said the decision to leave Bracewell out had been made to allow him to work on some technical problems ahead of the Test series.

"Doug Bracewell will miss the short-form matches so he can spend some time working on a few minor technical issues with his action," Littlejohn said. "The best approach is to spend time getting things right in domestic four-day cricket ahead of the Test series.

"Ronnie Hira and Adam Milne have been included in the ODI squad having previously being selected in T20 sides. We have been impressed by the development of both players and they offer the side something a bit different.

"It has been a demanding period for the Black Caps, especially for the players who compete in all three forms. As part of the on-going management of player workload we have decided to rest Martin Guptill for the T20 and ODI matches so he can refresh for the upcoming international commitments."

The tour begins with a T20 on October 30 in Pallekele, before five ODIs from November 1 to November 12. The Test series runs from November 17 to November 29.

Test squad Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol, Daniel Flynn, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor (capt), Kane Williamson, James Franklin, Kruger van Wyk, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Todd Astle, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin.

ODI and Twenty20 squad Rob Nicol, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor (capt), Kane Williamson, BJ Watling, James Franklin, Jacob Oram, Tom Latham, Nathan McCullum, Andrew Ellis, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ronnie Hira, Adam Milne.

Brooks leaving Sussex on own terms

Dave Brooks has announced that he is to step down as chief executive of Sussex at the end of the year. He has overseen a fruitful period during which the club has achieved success on and off the field.

Brooks joined the club at the start of 2009 after 20 years in the food industry. He was the first chief executive in the club's history to be responsible for both Sussex CCC and the Sussex Cricket Board. During his tenure, the club won the Pro40 and T20 title in 2009 and Division Two of the County Championship in 2010 and off the field built a new stand, media centre and conference facilities and integrated professional and recreational cricket within the county. Sussex were fourth in Division One of the Championship in 2012 and lost in the semi-finals of both the Flt20 and CB40 competition.

Those digging for murky reasons behind the departure will search in vain. 45-year-old Brooks was certainly not pushed and has not applied for another role within the game. Indeed, he insists he has no idea what his next job will be. But, having built up a considerable personal fortune during his period in the food industry, he is not in a position where he is obliged to rush into anything. He leaves on his own terms.

"When I was appointed I promised I would do three years," Brooks told ESPNcricinfo. "In the end I've done four and I feel I've achieved what we set out to achieve. I've always felt that a period of three to five years was the right time to lead an organisation and I want to go while my passion for the job remains high. I love cricket now as much as when I started this job. I still play for Cookham Dean Seconds in the Thames Valley League and I always said I wanted it to remain my passion and my hobby.

"This is the right time to go. My enthusiasm is still high and, if it takes a little longer to find my successor, I'll stay into January. But we have a decent platform here now and, with the Australians playing at Hove next year, the club should do well commercially. It will be a good time for a new person to start.

"I'm incredibly proud every time I come through the gates and see the new stand. It has been a privilege to be part of cricket in Sussex for the last four years and, as a team, on and off the pitch, we can be proud of our achievements. I hope that those who follow me will feel the same."

"Dave Brooks has been a transformational chief executive," the club's chairman, Jim May, said. "He has combined an astute business focus with an empathy and understanding for cricket at all levels. He master-minded the ground development at Hove into one of the best grounds in the country. Dave has been an outstanding chief executive who leaves Sussex with our very best wishes, and, in great shape for his successor."

"Will I ever work in cricket again?" Brooks said. "Never say never. But I have no plans in that direction. The first love is always the sweetest and, having fallen in love with Sussex, it would be very hard to work anywhere else. I'll miss Sussex enormously."

Brooks laughed at the suggestion he could run against Giles Clarke as chairman of the ECB. "That's an unpaid position, you know," he said.

Reflecting on his experience within the game, Brooks urged counties to develop greater independence from the ECB and develop revenue streams that are not reliant on centrally distributed broadcast deals. "Historically there has been a bit of a culture of dependence," he said. "Some counties have been overly reliant on the income from broadcast revenues and a successful England team. I'd like to see more counties developing their own business models and, with the help of Gordon Hollins at the ECB, they have made some good progress in that area.

"It's not just about financial independence. It's about the culture. I'm not sure you can have a vibrant on-field culture if you have a lack of energy off it. It would be nice to see clubs infused with energy on and off the pitch.

"But the one thing I wish we did better was talking up the quality of the county game. The quality is very good and we shouldn't be ashamed to say that watching county cricket is a very nice day out.

"We should stamp out that rubbish about only 'one man and his dog' watching. We get very respectable crowds here at Hove and I know they do at some other grounds, too. I remember the ovation Scott Styris received when he walked off after scoring a 37-ball century in a T20 game against Gloucestershire. There were 6,000 people on their feet and applauding. It summed up the warmth and excitement you can experience in county cricket. There is a lot to be proud of and I wish we heard a bit more about that."

Deccan Chargers ask for more time to raise bank guarantee

The owners of the Deccan Chargers franchise, Deccan Chronicles Holdings Limited (DCHL), have asked for a three-day extension (till October 12) to raise Rs 100 crore as a bank guarantee, one of the conditions set by the Bombay High Court ruling of October 1 to avoid termination from the IPL. On Tuesday, the franchise's owners also filed an application requesting permission to raise the guarantee from a privatised bank and not a nationalised one, as originally stipulated by the court.

Immediately after the BCCI had terminated the Chargers on September 14 for failing to "cure various breaches" of their contract, DCHL had moved court, challenging the expulsion. Having heard both legal counsels over a few preliminary hearings, Justice SJ Kathawala passed a judgement where he asked DCHL to fulfil various undertakings, including paying a bank guarantee to the BCCI by October 9 from a nationalised bank. Kathawala also appointed the retired Supreme Court judge CK Thakkar as arbitrator to determine a solution to the dispute.

Kathawala had said that in the event DCHL failed to raise the sum, the BCCI had the rights to revoke the termination order. The other conditions included clearing players' dues immediately and all liabilities pertaining to IPL 5 by October 31. The other important condition was to pay IFCI, a private financial institution, who had filed a winding-up petition against the DCHL. "There is schedule set under the consent terms with IFCI, it will be paid accordingly," Zal Andhyarujina, the DCHL legal counsel, told ESPNcricinfo.

According to Andhyarujina, his client had already disbursed the payments to the players and team officials, and were also in the middle of clearing up all other dues. "Today at court we would be moving an application to have the condition of the raising the bank guarantee from a nationalised bank to a private bank - ICICI," Andhyarujina said.

Kathawala had already pulled up the BCCI for having acted in "haste" before passing the termination orders. On September 14, the board had convened an emergency IPL governing council meeting in Chennai, after which the decision was taken to terminate the Chargers. That was also the last day of the one-month deadline set by the BCCI for the Chargers to put their house in order. However, DCHL sent a notice through their lawyers stating they had not committed any "breaches."

"The judge held that BCCI acted slightly in haste because they were worried about the prestige of the IPL," a BCCI official said. "He pointed out that the dues were payable on May 1, so why did the board wait till August to send the notice to the Chargers…"

I thought 130 was enough - Malik

It's a sign of the times that a total of 130 in 20 overs is a described as below par. But, Twenty20 cricket has produced attitudes that think anything less than eight runs an over, or thereabouts, is not competitive enough, and Sialkot showed why that way of thinking persists as their below-par total was chased with ease.

Sialkot's score resulted from a combination of a start that was too slow for them to make up and conditions that favoured Auckland's attack. Kyle Mills and Michael Bates gave away only 11 runs in the first five overs and both got the ball to nip away off the seam against tentative Sialkot openers.

"Having a good start is something we target. Kyle Mills prides himself on using that first over to set the momentum," Gareth Hopkins, the Auckland captain, said. "But it was also a tricky wicket to bat on, especially with the new ball."

Mills was Man of the Match for his spell of 4-1-6-2, an effort he aid was due to a disciplined line. "I was conscious of not giving away any width and bowling on off stump," he said. "We built pressure from both ends and they were always on the back foot."

Shoaib Malik thought the use of the heavy roller during the break between matches could have brought up moisture from the morning rain - Johannesburg's first showers in over two weeks - to the surface and added to his side's difficulty. To get 130 on that surface and after that start was something Malik was proud of. "It was very tough when we were batting and the Auckland bowlers used the conditions well, but Shahid Yousuf batted brilliantly in the end. I thought it was enough."

Hopkins, however, suspected it was not and half the job was done. "When I looked at the first game [Yorkshire v Uva Next], I thought 150 was a little light," he said. "I actually thought something around 160 would be par." Andrew McDonald, the Uva allrounder who played in the day's first match, said his team thought a score of around 170 was par.

Taking those estimations into account, Sialkot were well short of a defendable total but Hopkins thought his team could have restricted them further. "If we had been better with certain areas of our game we think we could have had them for less, especially because there was a lot of sideways movement," he said. "We still saw them get under the length balls and hit us for six."

Sialkot scored 60 runs in sixes, almost half of their eventual total, and that number pointed to the lapses Hopkins spoke about. Those were not the only signs of rustiness among teams on the first day of the Champions League qualifiers. Both matches did not produce cricket of the highest quality. In particular, the fielding fumbles and soft dismissals from all four sides made it groan-worthy at times.

The poor turnout was also disappointing, although not much more could have been expected at this stage of the event. Little is known about the teams trying to qualify and few people have time to make new sporting discoveries in a busy city on a weekday. What they will know is that Yorkshire and Auckland are one step closer to the tournament and to playing in front of bigger crowds in South Africa.

T&T look to emulate West Indies

While West Indies were recovering from one of their slowest starts in recent memory in the World T20 final, miles away Trinidad & Tobago were battling to put up a decent score themselves.

T&T could not watch the first half of what turned out to be a historic game for West Indies because they were playing a Champions League T20 warm-up match against Auckland in Johannesburg. It was probably a good part of the match to miss and by the time T&T would have settled in front of the televisions they wouldn't have felt too bad about losing by eight wickets because West Indian cricket had achieved something great.

Before the match, David Williams had called the result, down to the method of victory. "When you have guys like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Ravi Rampaul, there is a lot of experience so we just knew that they are going to do well," he said. "They will have to graft hard but they will win this one."

For West Indies, a world event has ended in success but T&T, such a competition is only just beginning. Williams said the CLT20 has a similar importance for players at domestic level as an ICC trophy is to international players. "It's a big thing for us. It's our mini World Cup," Williams said. "This competition is important to all aspects of cricket in West Indies. The guys look forward to this and our regional competition is so hyped up because of this T20 tournament."

Of all countries who have enjoyed success from twenty-over cricket, India could be talked about as the biggest recipients. But of individual cricketers who have benefitted from the format, West Indian names would crop up. Gayle, Pollard and Bravo aside, T20 has given players like Sunil Narine and Kevon Cooper and teams like T&T a stage to show off on.

That's not to say their involvement in the format has been a honeymoon. T&T were close to pulling out of this edition of the CLT20 because of a monetary dispute. When they settled their differences and arrived in South Africa, none of them would admit to the behind-the-scenes issues. Rayad Emrit said he "knew nothing about it," and Williams would not discuss the reported fall-out.

The focus, he said, was simply on qualifying. T&T are used to a tough ride in the tournament. In the year when qualifying was not yet part of it, they were underrated but went on to reach the final. Since the preliminary phase was introduced last year, they are the only team to have come through that, played in the tournament proper and have returned to do it all again.

"We did this last year and we're pretty aware of what it's going to be like," Williams said. "We know it's going to be tough. But we did extremely well in the tournaments in the Caribbean and we played a few extra matches so we are in good stead."

T&T's preparations had to take place without five senior players including captain Denesh Ramdin and premier quick Ravi Rampaul but Williams said that was actually an advantage to the team. "They have been playing T20 cricket over in Sri Lanka so that will be good for us," he said. "Someone like Darren Bravo will have got a lot of experience from there. He is going from strength to strength and is an important member of the team, we're hoping he is going to do well for us."

Rampaul is another player who will be a major factor for T&T in South African conditions. He could keep Shannon Gabriel, another bowler who could be a handful on bouncier tracks. "We've got a lot to choose from," Williams said. "We don't know if Shannon is going to get in, if he does I know he is going to do well. He has been training for a long time and he is fit and ready to go."

More important than individuals will be the team effort as a whole, according to Williams. For that to happen, Williams hope that the World T20 shine will rub off on T&T will have to be proved correct.

TV sting alleges corruption among umpires

A sting operation by an Indian TV channel claims to have "exposed" several first-class umpires from three countries who were allegedly willing to give decisions favouring players for a fee. The sting was broadcast on Monday evening by India TV, which in May had alleged corrupt practices by five Indian domestic players, all of whom were subsequently banned by the BCCI for varying lengths.

Among the umpires named or allegedly interviewed in the sting, one is a current member of the ICC's international panel of umpires and two have officiated in international matches. Two were fourth officials in unofficial warm-up matches before the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Two of the umpires are from Bangladesh.

In the sting, conducted in July and August, the reporters claimed to belong to a sports management company and promised the umpires officiating assignments in events of all kinds around the world, largely domestic Twenty20 leagues.

The reporters, who worked undercover, carried out the 'sting' mainly through interviews and conversations via Skype, an internet videophone service. The one face-to-face meeting, with the International Panel umpire, is said to have taken place in Delhi in July. At that meeting, the umpire was asked whether he would do favours for cricketers who were sponsored by the "company" the reporters represented. He replied saying it would be possible to do so with reference to lbws and run-outs only. The no-ball, he said, "has the problem of going to the third umpire, so says the law. It has to be done in a way that nobody knows."

One of the umpires involved in the sting was alleged to have provided pre-match information relating to a domestic Twenty20 match - the state of the pitch, the playing XIs and the result of the toss - and had allegedly been paid Rs 15,000 (US$285) for it. On the Skype video, he can be heard promising the same information for a World Twenty20 practice game, which included a pitch report 90 minutes before the start of the match, as well the result of the toss.

In a statement, the ICC confirmed that none of the umpires named had been involved in any of the official games of the World Twenty20. It also asked the channel "to turn over any information that can assist the ICC's urgent investigations into this matter."

None of the umpires in the sting had been a part of the ICC's Elite panel of umpires, who are directly under the control of the ICC. Umpires on the international panel are under the jurisdiction and control of their home boards. Every national board can recommend their candidates for the international panel, but elevation to the international panel is not part of inevitable progress towards the elite panel. Not all international panel umpires are elevated to elite status.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board also issued a statement referring to "allegations of corruption... directed towards a Bangladeshi international panel umpire who is with the BCB on retainership basis." It pledged a "detailed inquiry" into the matter.

ESPNcricinfo was contacted in August this year by two of these umpires, who said they had the impression of being offered generous umpiring deals for an "upcoming" private tournament. The umpires said they were in discussions with the "sports management company" keeping the appointments in mind, with one of them saying he suspected the bonafides of the company. Both umpires claimed they had spoken to these "sports agents" on Skype; they said they had turned on their camera but the party on the other side, claiming to be from India, didn't turn on their webcams.

Ishant, Mishra help North to huge first-innings lead

North Zone 484 (Dhawan 101, Dogra 77, Makvana 5-140) and 30 for 0 (Dewan 20*) lead West Zone 164 (Patel 51, Sharma 4-29) by 350 runs
Scorecard

North Zone strengthened their grip on the Duleep Trophy quarter-final in Chennai with a combined bowling performance that bowled West Zone out for 164 and secured a 320-run lead. Ishant Sharma destroyed the top order and legspinner Amit Mishra ran through the tail, taking seven wickets between them. The North Zone openers batted for 14 overs to add 30 runs before stumps, with a day remaining.

Six for 1 overnight, West Zone's slump began in the second over of the day, when opener Kaustubh Pawar fell without a run being scored. The new batsmen tried to build partnerships but were slow. When in-form Cheteshwar Pujara got out to Ishant in the 22nd over, West Zone were struggling at 40 for 4. Bhushan Chauhan and wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel batted together for 24.2 overs, scoring 72 runs - the highest stand of the innings. Chauhan was dismissed by Ishant, who had accounted for four top-order wickets. Patel reached a fifty but departed soon after, and West Zone were 128 for 6. The last four wickets added only 36 more.

Besides Sharma and Mishra, seamer Rishi Dhawan also helped North Zone with important wickets of No. 3 batsman Murtuja Vahora and Patel. To force a result on the last day, North Zone will want to declare early and bowl West Zone out quickly again.

Pietersen often 'misread' - Simons

Kevin Pietersen's coach at the Champions League T20 believes the batsman is often 'misread' and has said he brings many attributes to the Delhi Daredevils team.

Eric Simons, the former South Africa head coach, does not have any issues with Pietersen who will link up with his Delhi team-mates for the CLT20 following his stint as a TV expert during the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in wake of his omission from the England side.

Pietersen has made no secret of his enjoyment of the IPL, so it will come as little surprise that Simons only had positive words to say about him ahead of the CLT20.

"KP's strength is the way he is," Simons said. "He was a crucial part of our team at the IPL. What you don't see is what he contributes off the field to the side. You need to understand your players and be able to manage the various cultures and personalities.

"I don't think you need to keep KP in check. As long as all your players are focused on one objective, and that's what we were able to achieve in this team during then IPL, then people are allowed to be who they are. I think KP is misread many times in situations."

There will be some interesting reunions when Pietersen arrives in Johannesburg as Morne Morkel, the South Africa quick bowler, is also part of the Delhi squad. It will be the first time Pietersen has met any of the South Africans since he was dropped from the England team earlier this year after it was revealed he had exchanged messages with them during the Test series.

The relations between the ECB and Cricket South Africa have soured in recent days after David Collier, the ECB chief executive, claimed South African players had 'provoked' Pietersen into sending the messages. CSA has strongly rebuffed the claims.

The ECB has now started a process of bringing Pietersen back into the fold after he signed a four-month contract last week, with a view to him being available for the Test series in India, although the final decision rests with Andy Flower, the England team director.

One of the initial issues between Pietersen and the ECB was his desire to play the full IPL to maximise is $2million contract, but he has since said that he will be fully committed to all cricket for England - that would mean being available for the home series against New Zealand next year, which clashes with the IPL.

Umpire Ahsan Raza honoured by PCB

Ahsan Raza has won the Aleem Dar Trophy and a prize of Rs 100,000 for being Pakistan's umpire of the year. It is the first time the PCB has given such an award to one of its umpires.

The award was to be given at the completion of the domestic season but the board named Raza the winner at the start of the 2012-13 season. There was neither a ceremony nor did the PCB outline the procedure followed to choose Raza. It issued a press release saying, "director general PCB Javed Miandad presented the Aleem Dar Trophy to the best umpire of the year along with Rs100,000 to Ahsan Raza, PCB elite panel umpire."

The PCB had already started recognising umpiring talent in the country by offering contracts to three of their top officials: Raza, Zameer Haider, and Shozab Raza. They are also on the ICC international panel.

Raza was one of several people injured during the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus during the Lahore Test in March 2009. He was traveling with the other ICC match officials to the Gaddafi Stadium in a different vehicle on the third day of the second Test, when he was shot in the back and critically wounded. Raza had to undergo emergency surgery to repair a collapsed lung and damaged liver, and took nine months to recover and return to the game.

Raza, 38, made his debut as a first-class umpire in 2006 and has officiated in 63 first-class matches so far. He started his international career as a third umpire and was promoted to the ICC international panel in 2010. He has been an on-field umpire in 16 matches and the third umpire in 15 between 2009 and 2012. Before taking up umpiring, Raza was a wicketkeeper and played 21 first-class matches.

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