Younis blitz leads Abbottabad to tight win

Abbottabad Falcons 139 for 5 (Younis 48*, Hammad 35) beat Karachi Zebras 135 (Ghani 46, Ahsan 30, Usman 3-23) by five wickets
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An attacking knock of 48 off 28 deliveries from captain Younis Khan took Abbottabad Falcons to a last-ball five-wicket win against Karachi Zebras at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Chasing 136, they had lost four wickets for 71 runs in the 13th over, needing 68 off 43 balls, before Younis dominated his stands with Baber Khan, and later Khalid Usman, and kept them in the hunt. Karachi seamer Tabish Khan bowled economically, giving away 18 runs in his four overs.

After being put in to bat, Karachi kept losing wickets regularly. By the seventh over, four of their top-order batsmen had been dismissed. However, a fighting 73-run stand in quick time between Daniyal Ahsan and Sheharyar Ghani helped them build a solid platform for acceleration towards the end. But that didn't happen, as they lost their last six wickets for 19 runs, due to wickets by Amjad Waqas, Junaid Khan and spinner Khalid Usman, who took three wickets in the innings, and two run outs.

Abbottabad were in control of the chase at 67 for 2, with opener Hammad Ali having scored 35. Two quick wickets and slow scoring pegged them back, before Younis played his match-winning hand.

Multan Tigers 155 for 6 (Maqsood 38, Yasin 34*, Sadaf 32, Malik 3-17) beat Sialkot Stallions 113 for 7 (Nayyar 43*, Zulfiqar 4-15) by 42 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A solid combined batting effort and a four-wicket haul by left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar ensured Multan Tigers' convincing 42-run victory against Sialkot Stallions. Sialkot's chances of chasing down 156 were blown away early when Zulfiqar, and seamers Mohammad Irfan and Kashif Naved left them struggling at 29 for 5 in the eighth over. Although captain Shoaib Malik and No. 7 Nayyar Abbas stuck together till the 12th over to repair the damage, and Nayyar tried to steer the innings towards some respectability in the company of the lower-order batsmen, the target proved too far off.

Multan's innings revolved around two productive partnerships, and three knocks worth over 30 runs each by opener Sohaib Maqsood, wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf and Naved Yasin, who remained unbeaten. They also suffered a setback early in their innings, when opener Zain Abbas was dismissed for four in the third over. But a 44-run stand between Maqsood and Sadaf, and a 54-run stand in 5.1 overs between Yasin and Kashif Naved took them to 155 for 7 after 20 overs.

Faisalabad Wolves 137 for 3 (Misbah 43*, Khalid 36*) beat Peshawar Panthers 135 for 4 (Israrullah 56) by seven wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

After a slow start, captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Imran Khalid helped Faisalabad Wolves chase 136 in 18.2 overs and defeat Peshawar Panthers by seven wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium. The duo, having been together at the crease since the 11th over, did not hit a single boundary till the 13th over, when the required run rate had gone beyond eight per over. An expensive 14th over, in which four boundaries were hit, and the 16th over, of which 11 runs were taken, made the chase easier. Needing 18 runs off 18 deliveries, two fours, a six, and five singles took them home with ten balls to spare.

Peshawar, it seemed, paid the price for the want of better acceleration in their innings. Their innings run rate could have been higher than the eventual 6.75 per over, as they had lost only four wickets after 20 overs. Opener Israrullah scored a half-century, Shoaib Khan snr scored an unbeaten 24 off 30 deliveries. At 107 for 4 at the end of the 18th over, middle-order batsman Zohaib Khan smashed three sixes and eight fours to take his team to 135 for 4.

Bahawalpur Stags 140 for 2 (Imranullah 60, Kashif 39*) beat Lahore Eagles 136 for 7 (Taufeeq 53, Talha 2-19) by eight wickets
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Imranullah Aslam was the star of the chase as Bahawalpur Eagles overhauled Lahore Eagles' total with eight wickets in hand and continued their unbeaten run in the tournament. Imranullah shared a quick half-century stand for the first wicket with Hamid Ali and then added 38 runs for the second wicket with Kashif Siddiq. By the time he was out, for 60 off 46 balls, the Stags needed 33 off 43 balls. Kashif ensured that there was no further damage as the chase was completed with 17 balls to spare.

Eagles, after choosing to bat, were in early trouble as they lost three wickets with 30 runs on the board in the sixth over. But skipper Taufeeq Umar scored a half-century and shared a 74-run stand with Raza Ali Dar to revive the innings. The lower order, however, crumbled again and Eagles were limited to 136.

Lahore Lions 130 for 9 (Jamshed 26, Mohibullah 3-15, Jalat 3-23) beat Quetta Bears 86 for 7 (Altaf 2-1) by 44 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A collective bowling performance by Lahore Lions helped them defeat Quetta Bears by 44 runs. Although Quetta's left-arm spinners Jalat Khan and Mohibullah took three wickets each to restrict Lahore to 130 for 9, their batsmen let them down.

Lahore's innings was built on productive knocks by the top five batsmen, all scoring between 19 and 26 runs, which helped them to 109 for 4. But they too collapsed, as the last five batsmen scored 16 run between them. Opener Nasir Jamshed was the highest scorer in the match with 26.

Quetta went about their chase slowly, but two quick wickets in the 10th and 11th overs pegged them back. Three more batsmen were dismissed quickly, but after having lost seven wickets for 69 in the 15th over, they scored a further 17 runs off the remaining deliveries. Their run rate at the end of the game was 4.30 runs per over.

Rawalpindi Rams 177 for 6 (Shoaib 50*, Tanvir 43) beat Hyderabad Hawks 158 for 6 (Aqeel 75*, Zia 2-24) by 19 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

An unbeaten half-century by Shoaib Ahmed was the highlight of Rawalpindi Rams 19-run win against Hyderabad Hawks at the Gaddafi Stadium. Shoaib shared a 75-run stand with captain Sohail Tanvir that lifted the team from a tricky 63 for 4. After Tanvir's dismissal, Shoaib carried on the acceleration as 61 came off the last five overs.

In their chase, Aqeel Anjum and Rizwan Ahmed put up 56 runs for the third wicket, but the lack of boundaries in the partnership pushed the required scoring rate up. Once Rizwan fell, the incoming batsmen were not able to keep up with the rate and lost their wickets. Aqeel, who scored an unbeaten 75 off 48 balls, remained unbeaten as the team fell short by 19 runs.

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Harbhajan, Rahane released for Ranji Trophy

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh and batsman Ajinkya Rahane, who have been part of India's squad for all three Tests against England, will join their respective Ranji Trophy teams for the next group game that begins on Saturday. The third Test of the four-match India-England series is currently underway in Kolkata, but neither player is part of the Indian XI.

This decision is in line with the policy adopted by the India team management over the past four seasons, by which as many players as possible are released from the national squad for Ranji games during home series'. This is done with a view to help the reserves remain match-fit.

Harbhajan and Rahane will fly from Kolkata to Mumbai on Thursday, to join Punjab and Mumbai - these teams will play each other at the Wankhede Stadium in the next round of Ranji games. The pair, along with most of the other India regulars, featured in the season-opening round of the Ranji Trophy matches from November 2. While Harbhajan could make little impact with the ball as the Punjab captain against Hyderabad, Rahane scored 129 and 84 for Mumbai against Railways.

The players' availability will be a major boost for both teams, in particular Mumbai; Punjab, with young batsman Mandeep Singh at the helm, have already assured themselves of a place in the knockouts with four victories in five matches, but Mumbai are yet to win this season.

Harbhajan, having recovered from a viral infection, featured in India's humiliating ten-wicket defeat against England at the Wankhede Stadium. Rahane is yet to play in the Test series. The final game of the four-Test series will begin in Nagpur on December 13.

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Lions top table after aborted game

Knights v Lions match abandoned
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Rain forced the contest between Lions and Knights in Kimberley to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. Both teams received two points each, and with it, Lions finished the group stages of the tournament at the top of the table and secured their place in the final.

Knights' chances of grabbing a play-off spot were eliminated, as they finished fourth on the table. The teams that finished second and third in the group stages - Cape Cobras and Titans - will face-off for the remaining place in the final.

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Gambhir admits run out error

Virender Sehwag's run-out says a lot about the tentativeness and lack of confidence currently afflicting India. They had got off to a solid start, were 47 for 0 after 10 overs, when their most positive batsman had just played a lovely whip off the pads, the deep square-leg fielder had to run a long way to his left and dive to keep the ball from reaching the midwicket boundary, and yet Sehwag's partner didn't want to take a third run. Mistakes happen in cricket, but Gautam Gambhir's explanation for what happened said a lot about the team's mindset.

"I thought that was not the situation to take the third run, a risky run," Gambhir said. "I was watching the ball, and I was thinking it was in his hand, I thought rather than taking the arm on… The ball was in his hand, taking the run on the throw was dicey. After watching the replay I realised the third run was on, but we were thinking that the kind of situation we were in, it was not important that we go for a [un]necessary risky run."

The fact, though, is, as Gambhir acknowledged, this was a regulation three, and so circumspect were India that they thought it was a risk taking it. Well, at least one of them did. As it often happens with India, Sehwag's wicket brought a turnaround. The run-rate dropped, England bowled to a plan, and India weren't patient enough.

"Obviously when that kind of a dismissal happens, it starts playing on your mind," Gambhir said. "You have done all the hard work, you have won the toss, there was something for the bowlers early on, the ball was swinging, you have got 47 on the board, you have done all the hard work, and suddenly losing your partner through a run-put plays on your mind."

One of the casualties of the slide was Gambhir himself, who made a second good start but couldn't convert it into a definitive innings. He will be gutted with this. He is now three possible innings from having gone three years without a Test century. Whatever he might say about centuries not mattering to him as much as contributing to the team, this has got to play on his mind.

Gambhir is an intense cricketer, and he will know that more than the missing centuries, it's the sub-30 average over the period of three years that is hurting his reputation. He can't afford to waste starts. "It was disappointing," he said. "Not only from my personal point of view, but from the team's point of view as well. As an opening batsman, if you get a start, you want to score big runs.

"You don't want to put hundreds on your record, you want to put the team in a position from where they can dominate. If you ask me personally, I am more disappointed from the team's point of view rather than my personal point of view. Someone had to bat long and put a big score, and I got set and I got a start and I should have continued playing a big innings, but these things happen, this is what cricket is all about."

Gambhir also said Test cricket was all about comebacks, and it was reverse swing that India were banking on. "I think it's an even day, even contest," he said. "You can't say it has gone in England's favour. The wicket has something for everyone. Especially for the fast bowlers, if you see once it starts reversing it becomes difficult. It reverses big. If we can put 350 on the board, it's going to be a big contest."

That brings into picture another struggling Indian player, who has perhaps been most crucial to India's success since Anil Kumble's retirement. If the ball has reversed alarmingly for England, Zaheer Khan won't get a better opportunity to strike form.

"They [England] showed it was reversing big, and we all know Zaheer Khan is a master of reverse swing so if he gets going it is going to be very difficult for England," Gambhir said. "Hopefully Zaheer Khan and Ishant can do the job for us. This is the wicket where there will be something for everyone, for fast bowlers as well. It has carry, and at times up and down, and it was reversing big. It has enough for the fast bowlers."

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Outright wins for J&K, Tripura

Jammu &Kashmir 323 (Rassol 67, Haroon 52, Arup Das 6-87) and 318 for 5 dec (Ian Dev 118, Rassol 120*) beat Assam 165 (Jadhav 69, Rassol 7-41) and 241 (Tarjinder 105, Dayal 3-50) by 235 runs
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Tarjinder Singh's attempt at saving the game for Assam by scoring a fourth-innings century was in vain, as Jammu & Kashmir managed to take the seven wickets they needed on the final day to achieve an outright win.

Assam began the fourth day in Guwahati on 46 for 3, chasing an improbable 477. They lost wickets at regular intervals at one end, while Tarjinder battled for 105 at the other. They were dismissed for 241 in 89.1 overs. Ram Dayal took 3 for 50 for J&K while, Parvez Rassol and Waseem Raza took two each.

Tripura 441 (Roy 111, Ali 83, Dhawan 4-114) and 177 (Ali 68, Murasingh 63, Malik 5-36) beat Himachal Pradesh 260 (Dhawan 54, Murasingh 4-86, Dutta 4-65) 189 (Dogra 105*) by 169 runs
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Fifteen wickets tumbled on the final day in Nadaun as Tripura bowled out Himachal Pradesh in 60 overs in the fourth innings to secure a 169-run victory.

Tripura resumed their second innings on the fourth morning on 116 for 5, and they slumped to 177 all out. Manisankar Murasingh scored most of the runs, converting his overnight 19 to 63. Vikramjeet Malik took 5 for 36 for Himachal.

A target of 359 was always out of Himachal's reach but they failed to draw the game as well. Paras Dogra scored an unbeaten 105 but got no support from his team-mates. Aatish Bhalaik, who made 30, was the only other batsman to score more than 15. Sanjay Majumder and Rana Dutta took three wickets each for Tripura.

Kerala 314 (Jagadeesh 199*, Yadav 4-95) and 193 for 3 dec (Hegde 107) drew with Services 335 (Chatterjee 107, Yashpal 89, Warrier 4-86) and 85 for 0
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Only three wickets fell on the fourth day at the Palam A Ground in Delhi, where Kerala and Railways played out a tame draw. Railways had the better of the game by having secured the first-innings lead.

Kerala were 9 for 0 in their second innings at the start of the final day and they plodded to 193 for 3 before declaring, having scored at only 2.50 runs per over. Abhishek Hegde made 107 while Rohan Prem was unbeaten on 53.

Chasing a target of 173, Services batted only 15 overs in the fourth innings and reached 85 for 0 before the match was called off.

Andhra 393 (Shivkumar 106*, Mumuzdar 88*, Bandekar 5-107, Gadekar 4-97) and 193 for 6 dec (Pradeep 65) drew with Goa 328 (Shukla 121, Shivkumar 6-45) and 14 for 0
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Andhra took the last Goa wicket that stood between them and a first-innings lead comfortably on the final morning, after which the match in Visakhapatnam meandered to a draw.

In response to Andhra's first-innings 393, Goa were 285 for 9 at the start of the final day. They got to 328 before Ravikant Shukla, who had reached a century, was bowled by Shaik Basha.

Andhra scored 193 for 6 in their second innings before declaring to set Goa a target of 259. AG Pradeep was the top-scorer with 65. Goa's openers survived the small passage of play before the match was drawn. They played out 26 overs and scored 14 runs.

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Vettori out of South Africa Tests

Daniel Vettori has been ruled out of New Zealand's Test matches in South Africa which begin early next year. He has not recovered from hernia and Achilles injuries, the latter picked up during the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

Vettori, 33, has missed New Zealand's last five Tests against Sri Lanka, India and West Indies having initially suffered a groin injury in the Caribbean. He had hoped to prove his recovery from the latest setbacks in the Plunket Shield for Northern Districts but has not been able to make an appearance.

With Vettori unavailable Jeetan Patel, the offspinner, will remain the No. 1 slow bowler while Todd Astle, who made his debut in Colombo last week when New Zealand levelled the series, could be included as a second option.

New Zealand play two Tests in South Africa, the first in Cape Town starting on January 2 followed by one in Port Elizabeth from January 11.

There are reports emerging that New Zealand may not be led by Ross Taylor for the tour - which also includes Twenty20s and ODIs - after his relationship with coach Mike Hesson reached breaking point despite the impressive series-leveling victory in Colombo.

Other than the win in Colombo it has been a difficult year for New Zealand with Test series defeats at home to South Africa then away in West Indies and India while they were knocked out in the Super Eights of the World Twenty20. They have also lost 10 of their last 13 ODIs and in the latest ICC rankings have slipped to ninth behind Bangladesh.

Brendon McCullum, who has captained eight ODIs and 12 Twenty20s, is tipped to take the role.

Taylor was named captain in June last year following Vettori's reign having previously done the job as a stand-in. The captaincy had a positive impact on Taylor's Test average with it rising to 49.85 from 13 Tests compared to his overall figure of 43.57 and he struck three hundreds in those matches, including a crucial 142 in Colombo recently.

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Cook positive over split coaches

The addition of a separate coach for limited-overs cricket will instil the England squad with new energy according to Alastair Cook.

England last week announced the appointment of Ashley Giles as the coach of the England limited-overs sides, with Andy Flower retaining overall management of all three sides but only day-to-day involvement with the Test side.

Now Cook, England's ODI and Test captain, has welcomed the addition of Giles to the coaching staff and, in a clear hint that Flower was considering turning his back on the England job entirely, expressed his delight that the his services had been retained at all.

"It's great that we've managed to keep hold of Andy," Cook, who admitted he did not try to talk Flower out of the decision, said. "He's a great person to be involved with and we're also adding more experience into the coaching team with Ashley coming on board. It is exciting times and I am sure it will work well."

Cook denied any suggestion that Flower's authority would be diluted by the arrangement and pointed to England's use of three captains - one for each format - which had worked seamlessly until the retirement of Andrew Strauss saw Cook take on the ODI and Test roles.

"It is very clear that Andy is still the team director," Cook said, "and to me it is very similar to what happened with the three captains. That worked well and there is no reason why this can't work well with the people involved. Having three captains gave new energy to each form of the game and I can see that happening here. Also, the coaches will have a little more time to prepare for each series. It is new, so it is virgin territory, but I can't see why it won't work really well.

"A lot of the coaches' work is done when we're not playing. It's great that we've managed to keep hold of Andy, he's a great person to be involved with, and we're also adding more experience into the coaching team with Ashley coming on board."

Cook admitted he did not know what style of coach Giles might be, but he provided a ringing endorsement of his character and his record in county cricket. As director of cricket at Edgbaston, Giles led Warwickshire to the County Championship title in 2012 and also saw the team contest two and win one Lord's one-day final in the last three seasons. Cook also felt that Giles' record as a player who made the most of his limited ability should render him well-suited to a coaching role.

"What Giles has had is a lot of success at Warwickshire," Cook said. "He's turned that club around. All the reports coming out of Warwickshire are that he is doing a fantastic job. He is a really good character and he knows what it takes to succeed at international level.

"He did it the hard way as well. He would probably be the first to admit he wasn't the most naturally gifted of cricketers but, my God, he worked hard to get results. I assume he'll be carrying that into his coaching as well. As I say, he's done a great job at Warwickshire and I'm really looking forward to working with him. It is vital we form a good relationship as captain and coach because all three of us need to work together."

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Hazlewood out of Sri Lanka Tests

Josh Hazlewood is out of contention for the looming Test series against Sri Lanka after complaining of foot soreness eerily reminiscent of the stress fracture he suffered last season.

Twelfth man for the third Test against South Africa in Perth, Hazlewood was highly likely to debut against the Sri Lankans before the foot soreness emerged.

One of the stand-out performers at this year's Twenty20 Champions League with the Sydney Thunder, 21-year-old Hazlewood has been ordered to rest for four to six weeks, meaning he will also be out of action for this summer's BBL, which begins on Friday.

"Josh Hazlewood reported some left foot soreness in the same region of his foot where he had a stress fracture last season," Cricket Australia's Chief Medical Officer Justin Paoloni said. "Because of his age and history with this type of injury, he will have a short break from bowling for a few weeks and be back playing in approximately 4-6 weeks."

Hazlewood trained with the Australian team in Brisbane at the start of the South Africa series before being formally named in the squad for the Perth Test. He was only narrowly edged out of a spot in the team by John Hastings after both Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle were ruled out.

Australia's captain Michael Clarke, meanwhile, has been ruled out of his one scheduled BBL appearance for the Sydney Thunder after reporting back stiffness towards the end of the South Africa series. Clarke, Hilfenhaus and Hastings have all been ruled out of BBL action this weekend ahead of the Sri Lanka matches.

"Given the amount of cricket Michael Clarke has played in the past month, and having reported some lower back stiffness after the Perth Test, and with the first Test match against Sri Lanka starting next Friday, our medical staff have advised Michael not to play cricket this weekend," the team performance manager Pat Howard said.

"Ben Hilfenhaus has also been advised not to play BBL this weekend, although the NSP are yet to meet to determine the Australia squad for the first Test match against Sri Lanka."

Hastings, who bowled indifferently at times during his debut at the WACA ground, is likely to be ruled out of the Hobart Test due to back pain he suffered towards the end of the Perth match.

"John Hastings had some back pain at the completion of the Perth Test," Paoloni said. "He had scans that have ruled out serious injury. He will be reviewed later this week to determine his return to training and playing. He will miss the first T20 Big Bash League game and possibly be unavailable for selection for the first Test versus Sri Lanka in Hobart, depending on how responds to treatment."

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Seamers chip away for Performance squad

Dr DY Patil Sports Academy 219 for 7 (Indulkar 69*, Mangela 55) v EPP
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The England Performance Programme (EPP) bowlers shared around the success on the opening day of their latest match against Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai. The home side closed on 219 for 7 with Vinit Indulkar unbeaten on 69 to ensure the EPP side had to spend a full day in the field.

James Harris and Ben Stokes took two wickets apiece, both bowlers striking in consecutive deliveries, as the hosts fell to 116 for 5. The opening partnership between Shrideep Mangela and Bhavin Thakkar spanned 20 overs before Harris struck twice. Mangela progressed to 55 before he fell to Chris Wright.

Stokes, the Durham allrounder, who has tasted full international cricket, then found two edges that were taken by Craig Kieswetter, the captain of the EPP side.

Unlike the first match the EPP side played, where Scott Borthwick and Simon Kerrigan were among the wickets, there was less success for the spinners this time. With the squad being rotated, Danny Briggs, who is part of England's Twenty20 squad, and Yorkshire's Azeem Rafiq were given their chance and Rafiq claimed the one wicket for spin in the day.

The EPP will have had visions of batting towards the end of the day but Indulkar, who faced 199 balls and hit eight fours, added 58 for the seventh wicket with Sufiyan Rehmani.

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BCCI wants 'prime' home season

The BCCI is looking to establish a "prime season" for the Indian cricket team at home much like it is in England and Australia, thus reducing the team's touring commitments in the winter.

BCCI president N Srinivasan said: "We are starting to look at and define our prime season, and during your prime season you should be playing at home." Speaking exclusively to ESPNcricinfo, Srinivasan said formalising the Indian season would mean a structured calendar of teams touring India. "We want to have possibly one or two visiting teams during our domestic season, starting in September all the way up to March, and we'll see the extent to which we don't tour outside. Given the FTP that is there, we are going to see how we can adjust."

Domestic cricket would also be rescheduled to make home Tests the centre piece of the season, and encourage more international players to take part in the Ranji Trophy. Srinivasan said: "This year we also encouraged our big players and stars to play domestic cricket. This is a change from the last several years." The Ranji format has been changed to three groups of nine teams each, the BCCI had been told by first-class players, that they wanted to play more cricket.

The BCCI's measures over the last few years, Srinivasan said, had sought to improve the quality of cricket particularly of the longer form of the game. "That is where the emphasis is. An uncapped player who has not played for India cannot play in the IPL unless he plays 60% of the Ranji Trophy games. So in more ways than one, we are pushing a player to the longer version."

In a wide-ranging interview, which will appear in full on ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday, Srinivasan spoke about issues concerning Indian cricket, the BCCI's financial power in world cricket, its refusal to accept the mandatory application of the umpire's Decision Review System (DRS), and the IPL's growing influence on players all over the world and the longer form of the game.

Srinivasan denied that the BCCI had taken an 'obstructionist' approach to the DRS. "We have not taken an obstructionist policy. We don't believe in it, so after discussion members have agreed it should be bilateral. I don't want to dictate to other people… our position has been clear from start. We don't believe the technology is good enough."

He said the ICC's statement that the DRS technology had "improved further" was in a way "acceptance that it was not good enough then" referring to the India tour of England last year. "But it was touted as being good at that point in time. Our problem is that when they say it is all right, then they say it'll get better tomorrow, or an improved version now. So we concede the fact that there was less than adequate perfection. Which is our point, if you want to use technology it must be perfect."

Srinivasan also said that restricting the DRS to two referrals was in some ways a contradiction in itself. "If you don't have faith in the umpire, which itself is a contradiction as in cricket the umpire's verdict is final, if a player shows dissent you fine him. But now you're saying that I have two attempts to question your decision. So the reconciliation between that is difficult. So if you take it to the end point of it, then you have two lampposts with coloured lights red, yellow and green, you don't need an umpire at all, as you refer every decision, so let an automatic reply come from there after a review and you say red or green."

	So if you take it to the end point of it, then you have two lampposts with coloured lights red, yellow and green, you don't need an umpire at all, as you refer every decision, so let an automatic reply come from there after a review and you say red or green The BCCI continues to resist the DRS

India's unwillingness to use the DRS means that there are two officiating systems at work in world cricket, to which Srinivasan said: "It doesn't bother me at all because, apart from all this, there is a cost to DRS and there are only one or two people involved. It's a monopoly-area situation, which I am not going in to here. It doesn't bother me if two other countries use DRS, they are happy, that's okay."

The ICC he said had the right to use DRS in its own events, but the BCCI was very clear in its stand on its usage in any bilateral series featuring India. "We are clear in our mind, but I hope, slowly, people will see our point of view."

The IPL, the BCCI's "showcase event" did not, he said, have a negative bearing on international cricket and the BCCI's refusal to ask for a window for the event, was based on the acceptance of the overseas players' packed international calendars. "The IPL management, the BCCI, franchise owners are aware that all the players won't be available all the time, and we've sort of settled down with that."

The IPL he said was not putting "a strain" on other boards. The event's popularity amongst overseas players were a reflection that, "it's a free world. People and players make their choices and we can't compel a person… I don't think that it is all-consuming." While the IPL attracts cricketers from all over the world, he said, "there are only so many players who can play in the IPL, because we have a cap on the number of players in the team. And from what I have seen, players may not be happy to sit out as we have a cap on foreign players. So squad size and the number of franchises have a limiting effect."

The BCCI he said was aware that there was "no real window" available on the international calendar for the IPL. "The BCCI has recognised that today you have ten Full Members, they play each other home and away once in four years. The number of ICC events has increased from ten years ago, so there's a lot of clutter. So the BCCI accepts the fact that there is no real window and that whoever is available plays."

The BCCI's reputation as a bully on the IPL board he said, was "not fair" - and denied that other boards would be wary of going against the BCCI's wishes. "That is not a fact. In the ICC all members are sovereign. The ten full members are sovereign."

Despite India's 8-0 defeats in England and Australia, Srinivasan said it was not fair to say that India got exposed when travelling abroad. "It's not that we get exposed when we go abroad. Every country is used to its own conditions, whether it is England, South Africa, Australia, so they tend to play better in home conditions, which is what we also do."

He said the media in the other teams did not end up "berating their players for not doing well [abroad]" and that there had to be an acceptance and recognition of the "advantage of home conditions… So I don't think we should run down our players by saying we did not do well abroad. Other teams don't do well when they come to India. In the past, we have had teams that have done well both here and abroad, when players were possibly younger."

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