Grassroots investment for Leicestershire

There was at last some good news for Leicestershire as a new cricket facility was opened in the city centre. A boost to the recreational game in the city can only be of benefit to a beleaguered county.

Continuing to develop home-grown youngsters is central to the club's plan to haul themselves from the lowest point in their history, some details of which were revealed at a members' forum on Wednesday night.

The club's academy have an excellent record of developing first-class cricketers and recent products, James Taylor and Harry Gurney, are preparing for England's tour of Sri Lanka next month.

Taylor was back in Leicestershire alongside England Women's internationals Katherine Brunt and Sonia Odedra to unveil the new multi-purpose sports hall at Crown Hills Community College - a strategic centre of excellence for cricket and the only specialist sports college in Leicestershire with cricket as its focus sport.

The new building, funded by the ECB and Sport England, includes a £1 million state of the art cricket facility available to students from the college, the local community and talented young cricketers from across the East Midlands - one of which was once Taylor and he, Brunt and Odedra took part in the first coaching session at the new facility, designed to help nurture the latest crop of Leicestershire youngsters.

Any that make it to Grace Road will benefit from better showers - the most entertaining of the club's announcements on Wednesday night. Interim chief executive Andrew Boyce also confirmed a development of flats will be built on their ground as the first stage in a bid to drive non-match revenues.

Boyce will continue a review into the club's coaching structure, which is being revamped for the second time in as many years. Phil Whitticase has been removed as director of cricket having been appointed into the new role in August 2013.

Boyce will hand over the review to the club's new chief executive, for which there have been a reported 120 applications, with current Chance to Shine chief executive Wasim Khan a leading candidate as the club aim to strengthen their links with the Asian community.

Whoever is appointed will be tasked with reviving a county slipping dangerously close to the precipice but they retain the backing of the ECB, who are committed to retaining the current number of first-class counties until at least 2019 and whose investment in Crown Hills demonstrates their current support for Leicestershire.

"This is a fantastic facility which will be of enormous long-term benefit to the college and play a major role in engaging the wider community in cricket and serving the needs of local clubs," the ECB chairman, Giles Clarke, said. "It also represents a key part of our wider plans to engage more closely with the Asian cricket community at a national level and raise the standard of cricket facilities and pitches in urban areas."

Director of sport and assistant principal, Doug Keast, said: "The multi sports hall is twice the size of a facility normally provided by the Building Schools for the Future programme. There is no doubt it is playing no small part in developing the skill level of our students resulting in the success achieved by our girls' and boys' cricket teams.

"Crown Hills is proud of the fact that we are a strategic centre of excellence for cricket. We are working closely with Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket in the development of the game and all the Leicestershire age-group squads use the facility."

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Anderson prepares for year of hotel rooms

English cricket has been in the headlines recently, and not in a very flattering light, but for the current players it is a rare period of downtime before they embark on a demanding schedule.

Next month they head off to Sri Lanka for a one-day series before returning home for Christmas, then leave again for Australia ahead of the World Cup early in the New Year. During 2015 those that play all, or the majority, of England's matches are due to spend more than 300 days living in hotels raising concerns about whether such demands will be lead to truncated careers.

James Anderson, who is four wickets away from breaking Ian Botham's England record, remains a key figure in the Test and one-day sides, meaning he could be involved in the bulk of the cricket, although the selectors will likely try to find him some breaks along the way.

When asked whether the schedule asked too much of the players, Anderson said: "Probably, yeah. I think we spend about 310 days in a hotel. It's just part and parcel of the job. You get used to it, I've done it for 12 years. Next year we've got the World Cup, West Indies, New Zealand and the Ashes in our summer then go to South Africa."

Whether by accident or wishful thinking, Anderson missed out the trip to the UAE in October and November which includes three Tests, five ODIs and a T20 against Pakistan. From April next year when the team play West Indies, until January 2016, they will rack up 17 Tests in that nine-month period.

Anderson has two children, aged five and three, and he is savouring the time he has had to spend with them now but, in a dose of dry humour although with more than hint of reality, added: "I'll see them again when they are six and four."

The demands of the international schedule played a central part in Jonathan Trott's withdrawal from the Ashes tour last year and although Pietersen was highly critical in his book of the way that was handled, Anderson believes lessons are being learnt.

"I'm sure it is linked, it's something that is being looked at, we do get a lot more help with the mental side of it because we are away from home for that long and it does take it out of you. We do need that sort of help and it's something that has been brushed over in the past and now people are realising with guys having to quit international cricket over it that it's a serious issue."

James Anderson was speaking ahead of his appearance on The Clare Balding Show, to see the full interview watch BT Sport 1 from 10:15pm on Thursday 16th October in the UK

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Wade suspended for broken window

Victoria's captain Matthew Wade has been suspended for the second time in as many seasons, this time for inadvertently breaking a window following his dismissal in the Bushrangers' loss to Queensland at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday.

Chasing Queensland's record total of 5 for 372, Wade was the first Victorian dismissed when he flicked a ball from his his opposite number James Hopes to leg slip. After reaching the dressing room he threw a water bottle at an esky with enough force to have it ricochet up to break a window.

Wade's charge under the Cricket Australia code of behaviour was brought by Cricket Victoria's chief executive Tony Dodemaide after the incident was brought to his attention at the end of the match. Wade was found guilty of breaching Article 2.1.2 - Abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match.

"An incident was brought to our attention following the match and we duly lodged a report with Cricket Australia once we were satisfied a level one offence was justified," Dodemaide said. "Player behaviour standards are paramount, and the role of captain in setting the right example is especially important.

"We accept this penalty decision as the right course of action. Whilst this incident is disappointing, we are confident Matthew will learn from it and become a better cricketer and leader. We remain convinced he has a great future in front of him for Victoria and Australia."

In addition to his suspension for Friday's day/night match against New South Wales, Wade was fined 50% of his match fee and has also agreed to cover the cost of replacing the window.

Last November, Wade was suspended for one Sheffield Shield game for pitch tampering during the Bushrangers' match against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval. Wade appealed the decision but the ban was upheld by CA.

Victoria currently sit second-last on the domestic limited overs tournament table and are out of contention for the competition finals.

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Lehmann locked in until 2017

Darren Lehmann has been rewarded for his positive impact on Australia's performance with a one-year extension to his contract as head coach. Lehmann was installed on the eve of last year's Ashes series in England when Cricket Australia made the dramatic last-minute decision to sack Mickey Arthur, and while an Ashes defeat was the immediate outcome, Australia have been on the rise since then.

A 5-0 clean-sweep at home returned the urn in the Australian summer, before Michael Clarke's men travelled to South Africa and won 2-1 earlier this year, putting them temporarily back on top of the ICC Test rankings. It has been a remarkable turnaround from early 2013, when Australia virtually imploded both off the field and on it in India, where they were crushed 4-0 and four players suffered the ignominy of being suspended during the homework saga.

Lehmann was originally contracted until June 2016 but Cricket Australia's confidence in him has now encouraged them to lock him in for another year, until the end of June 2017. The move came during a rare off season spent largely at home, during which Lehmann and Cricket Australia had the chance to look back on a largely successful period since the Ashes in England.

"After the [World] T20 in Bangladesh we had some time off, reflection time to see where we needed to improve more so than anything else," Lehmann said. "It was an up-and-down 12 months. It was a great back end obviously but we certainly changed the way we went about things on and off the ground. From our point of view we've made strides but we're also looking to improve."

So far, they have done that. The home Ashes triumph would alone have been enough to make Cricket Australia's CEO James Sutherland and team performance manager Pat Howard pleased with their decision, but the added bonus of victory in South Africa topped it off nicely. Howard said Lehmann's success as coach had stemmed in part from his off-field approach.

"We have been extremely pleased with the results Darren has achieved with the team since he came on board," Howard said. "He has helped create an excellent team environment that has seen players thrive.

"We want that to continue so we used the winter period to work through an extension to his current contract. Importantly it provides continuity for the team and certainty for Darren heading into a critical period for Australian cricket."

Lehmann's relaxed, inclusive style has been apparent from the outset. While preparing for a warm-up game against Somerset last year, shortly after being handed the job, he called the team together, asked for the stop-watch to be started, and declared that no team meeting during his tenure would ever go longer than 30 minutes. After that, it was off to the pub.

In the words of opener Chris Rogers, it was a moment in which the players realised that they could enjoy their cricket again, and that the weight was off their shoulders. Lehmann has also been known to deliver a serve for a loose shot or silly decision, but he himself said the major change he had noted in the Australian setup since he came on board was in the atmosphere of the squad.

"I think the togetherness of the group as a whole, support staff and players, the way we all get on so well with the families and look after each other outside the game," Lehmann said. "They're all really talented cricketers and we've got some great people involved in the game. That's been the biggest stride."

On the field, he has engendered an attacking approach which comes naturally to many of the Australians, but might have been forgotten at times in the pre-Lehmann era. Not that his captains across all three formats need much encouraging.

"I was quite an aggressive player myself and I've got a captain [Michael Clarke] who is quite aggressive. George [Bailey] is aggressive, Finchy is aggressive, so with Clarke it makes it quite a bit easier to implement an aggressive plan. That's the pleasing thing is the captains have been on board and that's what you need."

The immediate goal for Lehmann and Clarke is to continue their improvement away from home, after winning in South Africa. The first Test in Dubai begins on Wednesday and Australia can return to the No.1 ranking if they win 2-0.

"We've certainly got to improve our skill level away from home," Lehmann said. "We did that well in South Africa. But it's only the start of the tour here away and we didn't have the result in Zimbabwe we would have liked. So we've got to keep improving away from home, first and foremost."

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Murali helps O'Keefe beat 'dead track'

There was no doosra, but Steve O'Keefe showed on the first day in Sharjah the benefits of working with Muttiah Muralitharan over the past week and a half. Muralitharan has been in the UAE with Australia's squad as a bowling consultant and his advice to O'Keefe proved invaluable on a surface that offered little for bowlers of any persuasion.

On a day when the frontline offspinner Nathan Lyon went wicketless, O'Keefe's return of 3 for 76 looked particularly respectable and should encourage the selectors as they consider a twin-spin attack for the first Test in Dubai. Notably, O'Keefe surprised the batsmen with several deliveries that kicked sharply off the pitch, and his accuracy helped keep the runs down for most of the day.

"It was a pretty dead track," O'Keefe said. "However, I think subtle variations, particularly stuff I've worked with Murali through the week have really helped out. I think you've got to expect that, don't you, on a day when the pitch [doesn't have much]. You've just got to nickel and dime it, and find a wicket. In saying that, they batted really well and Shafiq batted beautifully and deserved his hundred.

"Your main thing on these sort of wickets is you have to be hitting the stumps, give yourself a chance. And then the rest is moving around the crease, cross-seam can be quite effective on these wickets, given that the ball can skip off sometimes and bounce maybe if it hits the seam. I think that's what Murali has been invaluable with, those sorts of variations.

"I still think there's a lot to work on. That's the aim of the game, to get wickets. Particularly as a spinner on day one, you can certainly help the quicks out and try to go for less than two or three [runs an over] - I probably went a bit expensive towards the end. But to get three of their top seven out, I'll take a lot out of that."

Pakistan A had trouble getting O'Keefe away early and his first wicket was that of Babar Azam, who advanced and tried to clear mid-on but managed only to find the fielder. Later, he bowled Haris Sohail with a ball that drifted across and straightened, immediately after Sohail had crunched a six over midwicket, and his third wicket came when Adnan Akmal edged to slip, perhaps surprised by some extra bounce.

O'Keefe appears a likely debutant for the Dubai Test next week, although the precise make-up of Australia's side will depend on the pitch and also on the ability of allrounder Mitchell Marsh to prove his fitness to bowl in the second innings in Sharjah. Despite his success on the first day, O'Keefe said he was not yet thinking of a baggy green, just of getting through this game.

"I get nervous, I've been nervous since I was eight and sitting exams," he said. "It's part of my natural make-up to get a little nervous but I'm sort of comfortable with that.

"Today was an opportunity to bowl, I'll get another opportunity in the next innings, but I'm not looking too far ahead. I'm certainly not thinking I've got a baggy green, it's just 'let's get through this match, let's get a win, let's keep contributing' and the rest will dictate itself."

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All-round Kapp downs Sri Lanka Women

South Africa women 225 for 8 (Kapp 89*, Lee 72, Kaushalya 2-24) beat Sri Lanka women 172 for 9 (Kaushalya 59, Ismail 2-19) by 53 runs
Scorecard

Marizanne Kapp fueled South Africa Women to a winning start in the ICC Women's Championship. She complemented an unbeaten 89 with a spell of 2 for 36 to keep Sri Lanka Women 54 runs short of their target of 226 in Colombo.

South Africa, after opting to bat, found themselves 17 for 2 in the seventh over. Opener Lizelle Lee rallied with a composed 72 off 103 balls. She was part of two half-century partnerships with the middle order and Kapp ensured that period of stability was not in vain with 89 off 90 balls, including eight fours. Her stand of 85 with Dane van Niekerk for the fifth wicket rushed South Africa to a promising 225 at the end of 50 overs.

Sri Lanka's reply barely got started before Kapp made further impact. She struck in the second over to remove Shashikala Siriwardene for a duck. Four of the top six were dismissed for single-figures as Sri Lanka languished at 66 for 6 in the 27th over. Kapp finished with two wickets, as did fellow seamer Shabnim Ismail, and spinners van Niekerk and Yolani Fourie. All of them conceded less than four an over.

Eshani Kaushalya struck a rapid 59 off 55 balls to frustrate South Africa. She led a seventh-wicket partnership of 43 with Maduri Samuddika and added a further 47 with No. 10 Udeshika Prabodhani before being dismissed. South Africa claimed a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

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Last-ball run out spares New Zealand's blushes

New Zealand XI 263 (Anderson 53, McCullum 52, Berrington 3-66) beat Scotland 262 (Machan 83, Coleman 56, Gardiner 54, Anderson 4-47) by one run
Scorecard

Scotland came within a whisker of beating a strong New Zealand XI - only three players away from being a full-strength home side - but after striking a boundary in the last over to leave the visitors needing two off three balls, Alasdair Evans could not score from the next two deliveries and was then run out by Brendon McCullum off the final ball of the match.

There was relief for the New Zealanders, in their first match of the home season, but Scotland will be able to take plenty of solace from their performance against a side they will face in the group stage of the World Cup. They chipped away with the ball and only a final-wicket stand of 55 between Kyle Mills and Matt Henry lifted the New Zealanders to the heights of 263 after being put into bat on an early-season surface which offered encouragement for the seamers.

The chase was marshalled by half-centuries from Hamish Gardiner, Matt Machan and Freddie Coleman. Kyle Coetzer had fallen to the third ball of the innings and when captain Preston Mommsen also failed to open his account, edging Mills to slip, Scotland were 41 for 3 in the eighth over.

However, Gardiner and Machan added 111 for the fourth wicket before Gardiner was run out backing up when Machan's fierce drive burst through the hands of Mills into the non-striker's stumps. Five over later, and with a century in sight, Machan, who had scored at nearly a run-a-ball, sliced a wide delivery to third man off Mitchell McClenaghan leaving Scotland needing 87 off 88 deliveries with five wickets in hand.

Coleman got them close with 56 off 50 balls although he kept losing partners as Corey Anderson went through the lower order. Coleman was Anderson's fourth wicket when he drove to cover with 21 required - a task that the last-wicket pair so nearly achieved.

The New Zealand XI, missing only Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson and Tim Southee from what could be classed as the main one-day team, had made a sticky start. Martin Guptill was caught at third man and Dean Brownlie, earning a chance in the absence of Taylor and Williamson, drove lazily into the covers to leave them 20 for 2 in the 10th over.

McCullum steadied the innings alongside Tom Latham, striking the ball cleanly in a brisk half-century that included three sixes, before the New Zealanders wobbled again as the third-wicket pair were dismissed in consecutive deliveries; McCullum picking out deep midwicket and Latham late on a delivery which took out middle and leg.

Anderson made a robust fifty, adding 53 with the returning Daniel Vettori, but when Nathan McCullum departed there were still nine overs remaining and it needed some sensible batting from Henry and Mills to ensure the overs were used up.

One of the more significant aspects for the New Zealanders was that Vettori, playing his first 50-over match since the Champions Trophy in England last June, got through his 10 overs as he tries to prove his fitness ahead of the one-day series against Pakistan in the UAE and ultimately the World Cup.

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Bravo, Hinds battle intensifies in email exchange

The growing impasse between West Indies players and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) has intensified with both sides exchanging bitter emails in the past week. After Wavell Hinds, who has been the direct target of the players' ire, vehemently refused to step down from his dual positions as WIPA president and chief executive, the players fired fresh salvos against him via a two-part letter highlighting the discrepancies in his response.

The biggest bone of contention between the warring factions is related to the issue of sponsorship payment that Hinds claimed all the West Indies players had agreed to forego towards enhancing the pay structure of 90 regional first-class cricketers during the WIPA annual general meeting on February 1 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

Hinds was responding to a letter signed by West Indies ODI captain Dwayne Bravo on behalf of the players, who alleged that the WIPA CEO had "hoodwinked" them by signing a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) which amounted to taking a massive pay cut.

The proposal to forego the sponsorship fee was present by WIPA director Michael Hall, who asked of the "players on the West Indies team to be an agent of change and give up his daily sponsorship money to help professionalize first class cricket," according to the minutes of the AGM as seen by ESPNCricinfo.

In his letter, dated October 8, Hinds started with a bold stroke: "I am compelled to first refute in the strongest possible manner all of your previous assertions claiming ignorance on the part of the "senior players" regarding the proposal to discontinue the payment of $35,000 per day of cricket for the benefit of members of the senior West Indies team, and the reallocation of these monies to help to fund retainer contracts for an additional ninety (90) members of WIPA."

Hinds said Bravo along with senior West Indies players Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan having "participated in a lively and lengthy discussion" on the issue had expressed "100% support for the initiative" and authorised the WIPA executive to go forward with the "resolution". That move, Hinds said, "was passed by majority vote of the members present on the floor. The minutes also reflect the only qualification to your support, which was to ask that the current WIPA executive make every effort to ensure that the shortfall in revenue accruing from the reallocation, be made up in other areas of player remuneration."

But Bravo expressed complete surprise that such a resolution was indeed passed, which he noted in the first part of his response, sent on October 10 to Hinds. "There is no mention whatsoever of such a vote taking place and that is in keeping with what persons attending that meeting have said," Bravo said, referring to the minutes of the meeting as well as having consulted his fellow players present at the AGM.

Bravo brought to Hinds' attention the segment in the minutes of the AGM where he had clearly said that "he support(ed) 100% the proposal but certain conditions must be discussed, one of them being no pay drop for the senior team and the other salary be raised to compensate the loss of sponsorship fee."

Bravo also pointed out that both Hall and Hinds had said before any final decision was taken WIPA would consult WICB to make sure that "to balance of the loss of sponsorship fee, a compromise MUST be reached to EVEN out the difference." Hinds and Hall, Bravo said, had made it clear senior players like himself, Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy and Chanderpaul would be kept abreast of the updates. Instead Bravo claimed the players were always in the dark over the MoU, which they are yet to see.

"As is evident from the minutes of the AGM, Mr. Hinds and Mr. Hall promised to provide more information, meet with senior West Indian players, make up the shortfall if the sponsorship were taken away, even out the difference and certain conditions must be discussed one of them being no pay drop and more importantly discuss with the players before any final decision is made," Bravo wrote.

In the second part of his response, sent on October 12, Bravo objected to the fact pointed out by Hinds that under the new agreement with the WICB the players actually stood to earn more. According to Hinds, the players would get 15% increase in their match fee across the board along with a hike in the retainer contracts ranging from 12.5-25%. The Test match fee had been increased from $5000 to $5750; ODI match fee had been hiked to $2300 to $2000 while the Twenty20 International fee was raised to $1725 from $1500.

Also there were two new contract categories being including from this season: Category A+ and Category B+. An A+ player's retainer would amount to $150,000; Category A players would get $135,000, compared to $120,000 previously; Category B+ players $125,000; Category B players $115,000, compared to $110,000 previously; and Category C players would get $100,000, an increase of $20,000.

Bravo said that Hinds' assertion was "inaccurate." According to Bravo, the matter was never discussed at the AGM and a perusal of the minutes made that clear.

"Yet, you inaccurately stated that we got a 300% increase in match fees when the truth is the players are in fact receiving 90% less from what previously existed in our overall fees," Bravo wrote. Bravo also wondered why the 25% participation fee paid to the players by the WICB for playing in various ICC tournaments was erased completely. "To cut the participation fee from players who play at ICC events from 25% to zero is unbelievable."

"Mr. Hinds, we have asked for a comparative analysis of what the players earned last contractual year and what they would earn given this new purported MOU. Instead you have presented figures to signal that WIPA got an increase for the players. This is not correct. We once again call on you to provide this comparison," Bravo wrote, concluding a third part of his response would be sent soon.

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Misbah the best choice to lead in World Cup - Afridi

Shahid Afridi has said that Misbah-ul-Haq was the "best choice as Pakistan captain" for the upcoming World Cup. His comments in support of Misbah's captaincy came through a PCB media release after Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chief, had expressed disappointment with Afridi's remarks in a post-match conference after the third ODI.

"Let me state at the very outset, Misbah is the best choice as Pakistan captain for the ICC World Cup 2015," Afridi's statement said. "I have always backed him to the optimum whenever I have played under him, just as he had when I had the honour to captain the Pakistan team.

"I have already had the pride and honour to captain Pakistan several times. Trust me, it is no bed of roses, and all of us who have captained Pakistan, including Misbah, are fully aware of it. We get nothing more out of it than pride and honour; seldom do we get bouquets but more often brickbats.

"I have said this before, and I reiterate, that I shall continue to serve Pakistan Cricket and fully support Misbah to the best of my ability.

"This is my final statement on the issue".

Afridi, in the post-match press conference, had mentioned that he came to know about his being named the stand-in captain through the media. And when asked if he would like to continue as the one-day captain until the World Cup, Afridi had said, "I think whoever is captain - Misbah or me - we should know about it. If I am to captain in the World Cup then I should know about it."

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Manish Pandey hails IPL impact for call-up

Being consistent is the reason for this call - Pandey

On May 21, 2009, a 20-year-old Manish Pandey, playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, pummelled a Deccan Chargers bowling attack which included Ryan Harris, Andrew Symonds and Pragyan Ojha, as he went on to become the first Indian centurion in the competition.

While Pandey's form in the IPL remained consistent - he has scored 1346 runs combined for four teams - a national call-up did not immediately materialise. But when it eventually did, more than five years later, Pandey was quick to praise the positive impact that the IPL had on his career.

"It [IPL] definitely helped. As a batsman, you look to be consistent every game and win matches for your team," Pandey told ESPNcricinfo. "This year, even my first-class experience was very good, as I scored a lot of runs and backed it up with a good IPL and Champions League. Being consistent is why I think I've gotten this call-up. The IPL has done a lot of good and gave me a lot of confidence. We play with some of the best players in the world and we get to learn a lot. We get used to the pressure, and learn how to deal with other players."

Pandey, who helped Kolkata Knight Riders to their second IPL title with a 50-ball 94 in the final against Kings XI Punjab, also played a key role for Karnataka last season. He scored 729 runs in the Ranji Trophy at 48.60 with three hundreds and three fifties, as Karnataka went on to claim the title. Pandey hoped the first-class experience would eventually pave the way for a Test debut.

"As a batsman, playing Test cricket is my goal. I love the challenges when you play with the red ball, as it requires a lot more focus. I love batting in those conditions, and my runs would attest to that.

"It will hopefully be a good season for Karnataka again. We need to maintain the same standard of performances, and look to work harder and bag the Ranji Trophy again."

Pandey, who cites Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid as his two idols, said he was disappointed not to make his international debut earlier, but that he was now fully focused on the immediate task at hand, which is to beat West Indies and secure the ODI series.

"I expected the call-up to come sooner and would've loved to play a couple of years ago," he said. "But I've matured a lot over the years and played a lot more cricket. I'm ready for the games. West Indies are a good team, but as Indians, we need to be aware of how strong we are. We are looking to win both the ODIs and the T20. I'm not nervous, as I've played with or against most of the players in the team. I think it will be good fun and a great experience for me."

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UWA's issues with ICC's current bowling-action testing methods

The dispute between the ICC and the University of Western Australia (UWA), which was previously the sole laboratory for testing bowlers with suspect actions, centres around the loopholes that UWA says can be found in current testing procedures, and the impact of technical issues on the bowlers under scrutiny.

The chief concerns, raised by Jacqueline Alderson, associate professor in biomechanics at UWA, are:

• The method of judging the moment of ball release - and whether this could disadvantage spin bowlers
• The repercussions of placing markers in different places
• The influence of both elbow 'flexion' and 'extension'
• The continued use of 2D imagery in testing

Identifying the frame of ball release

Alderson says that in tests conducted on Ajmal in 2009, the 'frame of ball release' was crucial in establishing the legality of his action. "More than any other bowler we have tested," Alderson said, a large number of Ajmal's deliveries would have been illegal in the 2009 testing if the point of ball release was identified to be "1-2 frames or 0.004-0.008 seconds later".

UWA conducted a study after the Ajmal tests and found that the most reliable way to identify the point of ball release for spinners was by using synchronised high-speed video (with the 3D system). The method developed at the UWA to automatically identify the ball release frame (by identifying a change in the distance between markers placed on the ball and the hand) can reliably be used for fast/medium pace bowlers, but it is not so with spinners. "As spin bowlers release the ball out of different parts of the hand, which may or may not involve the fingers, any automated marker tracking method should not be used to identify ball release," Alderson said.

Should ball-release parametres and tracking methods be arrived at by "automated" methods of testing, Alderson said, it would "significantly disadvantage spin bowlers". She added that, "ball release identification would however not affect the legality findings of current ICC reports using the 'new model', given the extremely high elbow extension ranges that are being reported."

The repercussions of placing markers in different places
Alderson said that there were multiple ways/permutations by which the markers placed on the arm could calculate an elbow angle. The UWA had measured elbow extension by assessing the same delivery with three very slightly different models of marker placement. In Ajmal's case, Alderon said, two models found the delivery to be legal and one illegal, with a six-degree difference in the extension range calculated.

It meant that the modelling approach could itself "result in false positives and negatives, and if you are a bowler facing suspension, the difference can be catastrophic". UWA objected to the fact that the ICC had not released the modelling approach being used to calculate the angle in the new model to outside parties. Alderson said this prevented individual bowlers and home boards from getting independent feedback about the effectiveness of remediation coaching.

The continued use of 2D imagery in testing, and the problems of relating actions in tests to in-match actions
Disagreements exist about the methods used in testing to try to ensure an action replicates that which is used in matches - which is determined by comparing the actions in tests to 2D television footage. Alderson does not believe it is appropriate to compare 3D biomechanics tests with 2D television footage in order to determine if a bowler is replicating his in-match action. Her opinion on the process is clear: "If 2D footage is deemed to be reliable for this purpose [examining an action] then the ICC should simply use this approach during in-game assessments." The reliance on 2D comparison in the testing procedure is, she says, "inconsistent with the view that it is prone to perspective error and the subjective interpretation means it should not be used to make in-match legality determination."

It is the duty of any biomechanics team, she says, "to provide opinion on the validity of the match-lab replication in the final report, as was previous practise. This provides an avenue for the biomechanics team to provide feedback to the committee and for the testing to be declared not representative and therefore invalid."

Considering elbow flexion as well as extension, and expanding research into bowling actions

This is a highly contentious field where there is no unified view, and analysis of elbow flexion (the closing of the elbow joint) as well as extension (the straightening of the elbow joint) would lead to the throwing law becoming even more complex.

The flexing of the elbow can offer, Alderson says, just as much advantage (if not more) than elbow extension in some bowlers. This was something that was not considered when the initial attempts were made to quantify the mechanical difference between throwing and bowling, she said, and it was then decided that throwing was best characterised by the presence of elbow extension whereas bowling was not. The next step was then to decide how much extension characterises throwing and hence some baseline extension-tolerance levels - the 15-degree rule, included - were established for bowling.

In Alderson's opinion, "the original intention of the law is likely that the bowler should 'keep the arm straight and not throw the ball'. Or alternatively, that the arm should not change flexion-extension orientation (elbow angle) once the forward swing commences - it should neither extend nor flex but remain relatively fixed/stiff/stable." However, she believes that throwing should be assessed from a multi-dimensional viewpoint instead of a "single-axis measurement" of 15 degrees.

UWA believes this is possible by conducting research into using computer modelling methods in match situations - this could specifically finetune the definition of a legal delivery. "We have conducted a pilot study which shows this type of approach [computer modeling of bowlers' actions] is feasible and can allow us to compare 3D lab versus match footage directly as an initial first step."

Alderson says assessing a large data base of bowlers using 'computer vision methods' would help determine a threshold of "maximum allowable change in the shape of the bowling arm at the elbow and use this threshold to [more accurately] define a legal delivery."

The "3D arm-shape assessment" can be explained in simple terms, Alderson says. "If a bowler displays a posture that resembles a throw (think of a javelin-throwing position) then we should be attempting to assess if there is overall three-dimensional orientation change to the trunk, upper and lower arm. If so, then the bowler is likely not delivering the ball legally."

The ICC has made a significant investment "in replicating the wheel (developing marker-based modelling) to roll out status quo technology (lab-based, marker-based motion capture)." In the UWA's opinion, this is "a retrograde step that does nothing to advance the science of this issue for the game".

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Barbados Cricket parts ways with chief executive

The Barbados Cricket Association announced on Saturday via a press release that it has "agreed to a mutual separation" with chief executive Jeff Miller after he served in the post for just three and a half months.

Miller, 55, reportedly faced legal issues back home in the United States. The Barbados Today reported on October 3 that Miller pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony charge of grand theft in Florida on July 25. He was sentenced to 12 years' probation for pleading guilty to grand theft. The charge carried a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Three other felony charges stemming from an initial arrest in April 2009 - mortgage fraud, fraudulent use of an ID and uttering a forged instrument or check - were not pursued, according to court documents obtained by ESPNcricinfo.

According to the BCA press release, Miller was appointed to his role on June 23 but told officials less than a month later that he needed official leave from his position to attend to "an urgent personal medical matter overseas." When contacted by ESPNcricinfo, neither the BCA nor Miller would confirm or deny a connection between the charges and him leaving his chief executive position. A phone message left with Miller's lawyer, Khurram Wahid, also went unreturned.

As part of his probation sentence, Miller was due to serve two years of community control, a supervised form of house arrest. Court filings show that an affidavit was filed in Miami-Dade County Court on September 9 for a violation of probation.

Miller stayed active in the cricket community in various other capacities while his case was ongoing. He served as president of the South Florida Cricket Association for six terms, and remained in the position through 2010 while the felony charges were still pending. He was also employed as the vice president of operations and tournament director for Cricket Council USA, helping run the annual US Open $100,000 club cricket tournament at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida, as well as various other lead-in satellite tournaments in New York and other cities.

Miller went on to become a founding member of the Friends of Central Broward Regional Park in 2011, a group which helped facilitate more cricket games to be played at the $70 million cricket stadium facility, the only ICC certified ODI stadium in the USA. Miller served as executive director of the group and also played an instrumental role in the logistical planning and execution of the Twenty20 series played between West Indies and New Zealand at the stadium in 2012 during New Zealand's Caribbean tour.

His administrative reach also extends to Asia. Miller was involved in bringing four USA based players - Steven Taylor, Ricardo Powell, Adam Sanford and Jermaine Lawson - to Karachi, Pakistan in October 2012 for a pair of exhibition matches between a World XI All-Star team and a Pakistan XI. They were the first international games played in the country since the Sri Lanka team bus was the target of a terrorist attack in Lahore in March 2009.

A well-known figure in US cricket, Miller is originally from Barbados but moved to New York at age 18. He eventually played for the USA national team, opening the bowling for USA at the 1986 ICC Trophy in England. It was USA's best performance at a World Cup Qualifier as they went 7-1 in group play with their only loss coming to the Netherlands. USA missed out on the semi-finals due to the net run rate tiebreaker despite finishing on equal points with both Netherlands and Bermuda. He took eight wickets in seven games, with one profile stating that he took a hat-trick in USA's opening game win over Canada.

After finishing his representative career, Miller served as a USACA board member and moved to Florida in the late 1980s where he became involved with the SFCA, first as treasurer before later becoming president. He was also a USACA chairman of selectors in 2005 and part of the local organising committee which pushed for a cricket stadium to be built in South Florida in the early 2000s in the hope it would result in receiving a bid to host games during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. The World Cup bid failed, but the stadium was eventually built and opened in 2008.

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Newby, Agathangelou leave Lancashire

Oliver Newby and Andrea Agathangelou have been released by Lancashire as the club continues their reshaping following relegation.

The confirmation that both players would not be retained came shortly after Ashley Giles was appointed the new head coach.

Pace bowler Newby, 30, has been with the club 12 years but, despite showing promise, failed to secure a regular first-team place and spent time out on loan in recent seasons. In 53 first-class matches he has taken 133 wickets at 32.55.

Agathangelou, born in South Africa and with a Cypriot father, joined Lancashire on a scholarship programme when he was 20. He played six Championship matches in the 2014 season but averaged just 16.81.

Glen Chapple, who will be Giles' assistant next year although has kept himself available to play if required, said: "Oliver has not been able to hold down a regular spot in the side, and I hope there is an opportunity for him to do so elsewhere.

"Andrea is an extremely talented cricketer with a good attitude - and, given the right opportunity, he could reach his true potential.''

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Modi rival makes move to take over RCA

Amin Pathan, who allegedly ousted Lalit Modi as the Rajasthan Cricket Association president on Saturday, has been allowed to enter the RCA office with his his colleagues and supporters on Sunday. After claiming to have taken over as acting president, it is understood that Pathan's team has started proceedings to get clearance from the state government and then try and end the impasse with the BCCI.

The new development in the BCCI-RCA standoff will not impact the selection procedure that will begin in the coming week. The Jaipur High Court order on October 1 made it clear that once the state teams were selected, they would continue until the end of the season even if the BCCI and RCA reach a settlement. "If the team has already been selected pursuant to the arrangement aforesaid, the participation of the said team should continue irrespective of the event of settlement of dispute between the BCCI and RCA or any court order," the order stated.

When Pathan and his supporters had tried to enter the RCA premises on Saturday evening they were prevented by the police because they did not have the requisite documentation. On Sunday afternoon, after Pathan's aides submitted letters of all 23 district representatives supporting the resolution to remove Modi, along with deputy president Mehmood Abdi, secretary Sumendra Tiwary and treasurer Pawan Goyal, the police allowed them to enter the office in the evening.

It is understood the new office bearers, including Pathan, acting secretary Shakti Singh and acting treasurer Mohammad Iqbal, then met with some of their colleagues to chalk out the future course of action. Pathan's lobby is believed to have written to JC Mohanty, principal sports secretary of Rajasthan's state government, requesting him to approve the resolution to replace the RCA governing body. Since the RCA is governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act, every administrative change has to be ratified by the state government.

The Pathan group is also believed to have sought an appointment with BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel at the earliest. Since Patel was in Dubai over the weekend to attend ICC meetings, his response is expected over the next couple of days.

Modi's group remained tightlipped about their plan of action. If the state government allows the Pathan group to take over, the associates of the former IPL chairman are expected to move court, requesting it to reinstate an elected body.

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Misbah sat out voluntarily - PCB chief

The PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said Misbah-ul-Haq had opted out of the third ODI against Australia in Abu Dhabi on his own accord, and that the board had left it up to him whether he wanted to remain captain until the 2015 World Cup.

"Misbah ul Haq decided that he needed a break from the rather depressing scores he has had in SL as well as here," Shaharyar said in Abu Dhabi. "The management also agreed that if he wants to sit this out, it is his own decision. No one coerced him into doing this. He himself decided that this is the right time for him to take a break and see if he can recover in the Tests."

Misbah has averaged only 22.50 in ten ODIs in 2014 and his last five scores before he sat out were 13, 36, 18, 0, 15. The news of Misbah skipping the final ODI broke after the team meeting on the eve of the match and sparked speculation that the team management had forced him to step down and allow a younger player an opportunity, because Australia had already won the series 2-0.

"He is a human being, he is depressed at the fact that he hasn't been scoring and when you don't score and you are a skipper the whole team suffers," Shaharyar said. "So what I found very noble on his part is that he said, 'The day I get an idea that the team is suffering because of me, then I will say myself, let me go. But I have hopes right now that I can recover from this, and show my mettle. Every batsman comes to this.'"

In the last year, the PCB has asserted on various occasions that Misbah will remain the ODI captain until the 2015 World Cup, but that hasn't prevented a sense of uncertainty around his position. There has been talk of Shahid Afridi being a contender for the captaincy.

"I or the management have not influenced Misbah to step down," Shaharyar said. "He has done it on his own, he is determined to return. I had a half hour chat with him. He says if I am back to form I would like to lead in the World Cup. I said, 'We appointed you till the World Cup.' We were criticised for it and we will be now even more as he has not scored runs.

"But we remain totally firm that we have put our bandwagon behind him and he will lead. If you yourself think your leadership will not deliver, then it is up to you. We will not push you. This is the view of all three of us - Waqar [Younis, coach] and Moin [Khan, chief selector], and I have told Misbah this. So this is where we stand. He is determined to put things right, if he does he is back. We have considered other names of course as a contingency but it is up to him."

Moin Khan also said Afridi was just a stand-in captain in the third ODI against Australia. "For the remainder of the series, as appointed by the chairman, Misbah remains the captain," he said. "Misbah wanted to rest himself from the dead-rubber against Australia and Afridi was a stand-in captain for this game only."

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Pakistan dial down the extras

3 Number of times Australia have whitewashed Pakistan in an ODI series of three or more matches. Australia have now won five such ODI series while Pakistan have only won two.

1 Number of runs by which Australia won this game, their narrowest win against Pakistan. Australia have won six ODIs by this margin, India being the only team that they have beaten twice.

20 In the last 20 years there have been only three instances of Australia scoring fewer than 231 runs after batting all 50 overs against Pakistan.

5 Number of times Pakistan have bowled no wides or no-balls in an innings of 40-plus overs. They bowled one wide and one no-ball in this game. The five extras that they conceded are their fourth lowest for an innings of 40-plus overs.

9 Number of runs Australia scored during the batting Powerplay, between the 36th and 40th overs. Since the latest Powerplay rule change in October 2012, this aggregate is the second lowest between the 36th and 40th overs of an innings (not necessarily the Powerplay). The fewest runs scored in this period is seven, by Kenya against Afghanistan in October 2013.

3 Number of times in the last three years that Pakistan's openers have posted back-to-back 50-plus stands against a top-eight team. All of these have been in the UAE.

42 Number of innings Shahid Afridi needed to score his first 1000 runs in ODI cricket, at an average of 25.15. In his last 42 innings, Afridi has scored 666 runs at an average of 19.02.

2 Number of times Pakistan have lost to Australia despite four of their top five batsmen making 25-plus scores. The last time they did this was in 2012, when also they lost.

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Karunaratne ton powers Sri Lanka A

Sri Lanka A 261 for 2 (Karunaratne 139, Thirimanne 85*) vs West Indies A
Scorecard

Dimuth Karunaratne's 18th first-class century lifted Sri Lanka A to a strong position at the end of the first day against West Indies A in Hambantota. At stumps, the hosts were 261 for 2, with Lahiru Thirimanne unbeaten on 85.

Choosing to bat, Sri Lanka A were dealt an early blow when their captain Upul Tharanga was caught behind off seamer Shannon Gabriel in the fifth over. Tharanga's dismissal brought Thirimanne to the crease, who combined with Karunaratne for a mammoth second-wicket association which yielded 217 runs.

Karunaratne took a while to get going, and at one stage even went 41 deliveries without a four. He and Thirimanne, however, kept rotating the strike with regular singles, as eight West Indies A bowlers were used on a frustrating day for the visitors. Karunaratne stroked 14 fours to make his way to 139, while Thirimanne's knock included eight fours.

The pair batted for more than 74 overs before Karunaratne was caught behind off Carlos Brathwaite towards the end of the day.

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KP has tarnished golden era - Cook

Alastair Cook said Kevin Pietersen's revelations have tarnished the most successful era in English cricket and dismissed claims that there was a bullying culture inside the dressing room.

Speaking for the first time about Pietersen's allegations, Cook told the BBC: "It's been a really sad week for cricket. After talking to quite a few of my team-mates on the England team, we have to draw a line under it at some stage and this is a good time to do that.

"I am very proud of that era I have played in; to win three Ashes, to become the best side in the world; to play with some great players. I really only have fond memories of it.

"I am incredibly proud to have contributed in that period. To play under Andrew Strauss, to have played under Andy Flower as coach, I have only got respect for these guys. I do believe that era has been tarnished, and I am sad about that.

"I have known Andy since the Essex dressing room, when he took me under his wing as a player. Obviously, your relationship changes as a head coach and captain and I only have respect for him as a man, and as a coach. He was an amazing coach for our side. Chatting to some of the guys about it, they feel the same. A lot of the success was down to his drive and determination to make us a tough England side."

In his autobiography published this week Pietersen claimed a bullying culture existed led by coach Andy Flower - something Cook simply does not recognise.

"International cricket is a tough place and, as a team, you're striving for excellence at all times. Certainly at some stages those frustrations boiled over more than they should have done, but that was only people who were desperate to succeed and wanting to know the other 10 blokes around them were committed 100% to it also.

"Did it overstep the mark a couple of times? Possibly, but we addressed those issues. That's what happens in teams, but it certainly wasn't a bullying environment as such."

Pietersen was most critical of wicketkeeper Matt Prior, describing him as "backstabbing" and "bad for the environment" of the England team. Cook was shocked at such suggestions.

"It's sad that he could be remembered like that. He's put everything in to that England shirt and can be incredibly proud.

"Matty is a great man and has been a fantastic servant to English cricket," he said. "He has to be remembered as a guy who put his heart and soul on the line for England. The team was all that mattered to him."

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Smith's low high score and the Kotla fortress

A stats review at the end of the second ODI between India and West Indies in Delhi

12.3 West Indies' win percentage when chasing 250-plus in ODIs over the last ten years. The only Full Member nation with a worse record is Zimbabwe, who have a marginally lower win percentage of 11.1. West Indies have lost 48 out of 57 such matches in this period. India have the best record under such circumstances, winning 39 out of 87 matches, for a win percentage of 44.8.

9 Number of years since India have lost an ODI at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi. India have played eight ODIs here in this period, and have won all six of the completed games.The last ODI India lost here was to Pakistan in April 2005.

2 Number of times all of India's middle order batsmen, i.e. Nos. 4, 5 and 6, have made a 50-plus score in the same game. The batsmen involved on both occasions were Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. They made 62, 51* & 62 respectively against West Indies, and 68, 107 and 54 against Sri Lanka in 2009.

102 Number of ODI wickets Jerome Taylor has taken. He started the day on 99 wickets and picked up 3 for 54 in Delhi. He became the 15th West Indies bowler and 122nd overall to take 100 or more ODI wickets.

5 Number of times India have batted first after winning the toss since the start of 2013. India won the toss 32 times in this period, and chose to bowl 27 times.

55.4 Average partnership runs between Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina in ODIs. This is the fourth best for any India pair who have played together on at least 30 occasions. Topping this list are Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, who average 60.6 together.

1 Number of times Kieron Pollard has batted higher than No. 4 in ODIs - this was the first. His strike-rate of 80 was his fourth lowest for an innings of 40 or more.

97 Dwayne Smith's score in Delhi, his highest in List A cricket. His previous highest was 96 against Windward Islands in 2005. Previously, Smith's highest score in ODIs was 68. He had played 92 matches and scored 1318 runs at an average of 17.47, including only six fifties.

105 Number of runs scored by Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina for the fourth wicket. This is India's only 100-plus stand for the fourth wicket in more than two years. The last such partnership was between Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary against Sri Lanka in August 2012.

19 Number of West Indies players who have made 2000-plus ODI runs - Pollard became the latest. Eight of these 19 players have also taken 40-plus wickets, including Pollard.

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Lalit Modi's status as RCA chief in doubt

'Modi not facing a very serious challenge' - Mehmood Abdi

There is confusion over Lalit Modi's status as president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, with reports of him being voted out by the association's members coming in, even while RCA deputy-president Mehmood Abdi rubbished claims of his ouster.

RCA and BCCI officials met in Jaipur on Saturday to discuss the Rajasthan XI team selection as per the Rajasthan High Court directive. Following that meeting, an anti-Modi lobby, headed by RCA vice-president Amin Pathan, claimed to have met separately and voted Modi out of the RCA. However, Modi aide Abdi said the RCA was fully behind him as the president.

Pathan said the supposed move to remove Modi was taken with a view to break the banned association's impasse with the BCCI. "When we elected Lalit Modi, we were told the RCA wouldn't face any problem. We didn't know it would lead to a ban from the BCCI and our players would suffer," Pathan said. "All these hassles in fielding our teams in different tournaments are not acceptable. We have elected a new body and will write to the BCCI to accept us."

Soon after, Abdi told ESPNcricinfo: "These are all disgruntled elements, which are working for the interests that are anti-RCA. The entire association is behind Mr Lalit Modi and there is no change in his status." Later, he added in a statement, "The so-called meeting of the RCA executive committee in Jaipur was wholly unauthorised and illegal. Moreover, there was no notice of any such meeting and it was organised in a very clandestine manner away from the RCA office. All those claiming to be members of the executive committee attending that meeting were fake identities.Strict disciplinary action will be taken against all those found involved in this mischief."

Modi, speaking to PTI, put the "revolt" down to team-selection issues. "Some disgruntled members probably didn't get their way in selection of boys and thus revolted. Not worried about such vested people," Modi said. "No interference in selection has always been my mantra - if someone wants to revolt, most welcome. But on my watch, no interference or blackmailing will be allowed."

Aside from Modi, Pathan, one of the association's six vice-presidents, also claimed to have ousted Abdi and treasurer Pawan Goyal in an extraordinary general meeting. Pathan also announced himself as the acting president. On the other hand, Abdi said neither the president nor the secretary Sumendra Tiwary had convened a general body meeting.

The BCCI members did not take any part in the second meeting. In the first meeting, which dealt with the Rajasthan teams' selection, BCCI general manager, game development, Ratnakar Shetty met with Abdi, Tiwary and other RCA representatives to start the selection procedure as per court directive. Abdi and the other RCA representatives handed over some of the requisite documents to start the selection procedure to Shetty and court-appointed coordinator Taposh Chatterjee. It was then decided that the junior selection trials will be held in the coming week. The date of senior selection trials will be decided later.

The RCA was suspended in May by the BCCI after former IPL chairman Modi, who was expelled by the BCCI last year for "committing acts of serious misconduct and indiscipline", was elected the state association's president. The BCCI suspended it for allowing a banned individual to be a part of its affairs, and, later, omitted the various teams representing Rajasthan from its domestic programme for the upcoming season.

That left the players anxious and confused as to what their future holds, and eventually a petition was filed in the in the Rajasthan High Court on behalf of 75 Rajasthan cricketers, asking that they not be made to suffer "only for one reason, which is the grudge between BCCI and RCA". Subsequently, the court passed an interim order appointing selection committees to pick teams to represent the state in various BCCI domestic tournaments in 2014-15, but not under the usual banner of the RCA. While that came as a boost for the players, the impasse between the BCCI and the RCA continued.

Pathan had previously been a Modi loyalist. The secretary of the Kota District Cricket Association, he had even accompanied Abdi when Modi's nomination papers were filed for the RCA election in November.

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