Pune Warriors sign Ishwar Pandey

Ishwar Pandey, the Madhya Pradesh bowler who is the leading wicket-taker in this season's Ranji Trophy, has been signed by Pune Warriors ahead of IPL 2013. It is his maiden IPL contract.

"I am happy that my consistent performance has been rewarded. My focus will be to do well for Pune Warriors and cement my place in the playing XI," Pandey said. "For an upcoming cricketer like me, IPL is the kind of exposure that will help me understand the rigours of top-flight cricket."

Pandey, 23, took 48 wickets at an average of 21 in eight matches this season but Madhya Pradesh did not make it past the league stage. He was also picked in the India A team against England and took 1 for 29 in the List A game.

Pandey said he was looking forward to working with former South African fast bowler Allan Donald, who is part of the Pune coaching team. "When you get a chance to interact with someone of Donald's stature, you can't ask for more," he said. "It's an opportunity that every fast bowler looks forward to and I am no exception. Hopefully, once he watches me bowl at the nets, he would tell me the areas where I would need to work upon."

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PCB brings in international officials for PSL

The PCB has confirmed the inclusion of former ICC match referee Mike Procter and former elite panel umpires Russell Tiffin and Rudi Koertzen for the upcoming Pakistan Super League, a Twenty20 tournament starting on March 25.

"Apart from Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf [who are from Pakistan], three other esteemed international match officials have confirmed their participation," the PCB said in a statement. "In addition, preparation is proceeding apace in all other aspects and the team is well on track with its plans for broadcasters and sponsorship."

Although the PCB hasn't named the foreign players to take part in the event, the addition of the three match officials is a notable scoop, after FICA's advice to players not to travel to Pakistan because of security concerns.

Procter, who stood down as an ICC match referee in 2008 to become Cricket South Africa's convener of selectors, last visited Pakistan in June that year to officiate the Asia Cup matches.

"I am delighted to announce that I have agreed to be one of the Match Referees in the upcoming Pakistan Super League," Procter was quoted as saying by PCB. "I was approached by the PSL management team and after due consideration, I am looking forward to being a part of this exciting event in Pakistan.

"It is unfortunate that Pakistan and its fans do not currently enjoy their beloved international cricket stars at home and this cannot remain so. I am willing to get involved, and to help change perceptions about cricket being played in Pakistan."

Tiffin, a Zimbabwean umpire, was part of ICC's elite panel of umpires from 1995, and his last assignment in the country was to officiate Bangladesh's tour of Pakistan in 2003. "I have been to Pakistan before on cricketing assignments and I am keen to take part in the PSL," Tiffin said. "With the talent we know that exists in Pakistan, I am sure this competition will be quite a spectacle and I cannot wait to be a part of it.

"I know about the challenges that Pakistan cricket faces and I know from my own experiences at home how perceptions can cloud the realities. I am confident that the PCB can deliver a safe and secure event."

Tiffin last officiated an international match in 2009, and since then has been engaged with ICC tournaments featuring associate teams.

The other umpire Koertzen stood in 209 ODIs, a record, and in 108 Tests before retiring in 2010. On accepting the offer, he said: "We all know that Pakistan is going through a trying phase and we in the cricket family need to do what we can to help. It remains a very vibrant cricketing nation that always impresses us with its resilience. I have never had any problem umpiring in Pakistan, and I am actually looking forward to go over and catch up with old friends."

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Kirsten unsure on de Villiers' future

South Africa coach Gary Kirsten says he is undecided on whether AB de Villiers will return as wicketkeeper in one-day cricket.

De Villiers hinted that he is overburdened with captaincy and keeping wicket but Kirsten said that no final decision has been taken on who will take the gloves in one-day cricket moving forward.

"In terms of our situation with AB, it's more exploratory," Kirsten said in a wide-ranging press conference. "We are going through a phase of exploring and understanding his keeping. We haven't closed the door on whether he will become our one-day keeper."

De Villiers has been South Africa's wicketkeeper in all forms since Mark Boucher was forced to retire from an eye injury sustained in a tour match in England last summer. But Quinton de Kock, at just 20 years old, was brought in to keep wicket for the current series against New Zealand.

"The decision not to keep in this one-day series was a very specific decision which wasn't his own," Kirsten explained. "He is not making his own decisions. There is a process we go through in the team. Individuals don't just stand up and make their own calls. We felt that it might be a good idea for this series specifically that AB had an opportunity to focus on his captaincy. He is a young captain and there is a lot to do on the field."

De Villiers' opportunity to captain without the responsibility of keeping was cut short by his suspension for a drastically slow over rate in the first ODI in Paarl meaning he was banned from the final two matches of the series. Kirsten expressed his disappointment that such a calamitous mistake has cost de Villiers the chance to try out a new role ahead of the Champions Trophy in June.

"I had a concern right from the outset when I spoke to the selectors that doing the job of batting at No. 4, captaining and keeping was going to be really tough on him. He was happy to do it. He is always happy to do it. I just felt I would like to see him focus on his captaincy so it is really unfortunate what has unfolded where he is missing two games and is not able to gain more experience in his captaincy."

De Villiers will return to the South African side for the start of the Pakistan series on February 1. Kirsten was unsure whether de Villiers would come straight back as wicketkeeper.

"We are thinking where we want to go long-term," Kirsten said. "If you look at the Test team: it's foolproof in many ways although we have brought in a lot of new players. I don't want to make rushed decisions.

"The one nice thing about AB not keeping is that it has given us the opportunity to explore another young talent in Quinton de Kock. He has done a good job behind the stumps and has shown real potential with the bat. There's been a lot of talk about him and it's nice that he has been given an opportunity at a higher level."

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Finch replaces Hussey in ODI squad

David Hussey's future as an international player appears bleak after he was dropped from Australia's squad for the first two ODIs against West Indies, following on from his being left out of the T20 squad to play Sri Lanka. Hussey, 35, has been replaced by his younger Victorian team-mate Aaron Finch, 26, for the matches at the WACA on February 1 and 3 in a move the national selector John Inverarity said was made with an "eye on the future".

The rest of Australia's 13-man squad retained their places after the series-levelling victory against Sri Lanka in Hobart, a match in which Hussey was Australia's second top scorer with 34. Over the five-match series, Hussey was third on the Australian run tally with 128 at an average of 32, and his quick unbeaten 60 in the opening match at the MCG was an important factor in Australia's win.

But the selectors wanted more from Australia's specialist batsmen over the course of the series and were keen to give Finch another chance. Finch played the first two games against Sri Lanka and made 16 and 4, but has been in outstanding domestic limited-overs form this summer and is expected to partner David Warner at the top of the order.

"The national selection panel was delighted with the ODI team's impressive win against Sri Lanka in Hobart on Wednesday, in particular with Phillip Hughes' well-crafted innings and the bowling of Xavier Doherty and Moises Henriques," Inverarity said. "There were concerns, however, with the team's batting performances during the series when the conditions were conducive to swing bowling, conditions that were beautifully exploited by Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga.

"Aaron Finch has been included in the squad at the expense of David Hussey. A top four of Warner, Finch, Hughes and Clarke his good balance and the team looks forward to getting better starts than has been the case recently. David Hussey has been dropped from the squad as the NSP keeps a constant eye on the future."

There was also no home-ground farewell for Michael Hussey, who will not officially be retired from international cricket until the end of the limited-overs summer. Nor did the selectors decide to rush James Pattinson back after his recovery from a rib injury, although Inverarity said he was likely to travel to Perth to train with the squad, while Shane Watson was not considered as he gradually makes his return from injury.

"James Pattinson came under consideration for this squad but, at the time of the selection meeting, he had not bowled a ball in interstate or international cricket since 24 November," Inverarity said. "It is anticipated that James will go to Perth to practice with the Squad.

"Shane Watson has been making pleasing progress in recent weeks. He is planning on playing for his Sydney club tomorrow and will be available for selection for New South Wales' Ryobi Cup fixture against Western Australia on 30 January."

Clarke is expected to be fit for the Perth matches after his late withdrawal from the Hobart game due to an ankle injury. "Michael Clarke is making steady progress with the ankle he injured on 22 January and we are confident that Michael will recover in time to be fit for the first of the ODI fixtures against the West Indies on 1 February," Inverarity said.

Squad David Warner, Aaron Finch, Phillip Hughes, Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Matthew Wade (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Cutting, Mitchell Starc, Clint McKay, Xavier Doherty.

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PCB announces auction slabs for PSL

The PCB has set base prices for five categories of players up for sale at the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL) auction scheduled for the last week of February. Players in the diamond category will have a starting price of $100,000, platinum $70,000, gold $50,000, silver $25,000 and the emerging category will be between $5000 and $10,000.

The Pakistan board is yet to reveal the pool of players available to the five franchises but is looking to finalise the names by February. The PCB didn't reveal the base prices for the five regional franchises either; the bidding process for the franchises will also start next month. The managing director of the PSL, Salman Sarwar Butt, and advisor Haroon Lorgat, also said the board was contemplating having a tax-free league.

The plan is for the tournament to be played over 15 days, a total of 23 matches for the first three years. The five teams will play each other twice in a league format with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals. Each of the five teams would be allowed to sign a maximum of six overseas players and would include 10 local cricketers plus two emerging players. The base prices for the players will be regulated by the PCB and franchises have to adhere to it.

"One of the most positive reasons they [franchises] are coming is to build the sport in Pakistan," Butt said. "They are more interested in putting the best team together rather than what is the price. Our direction is very clear, we are looking at Pakistan to hold this tournament and for now that is very clear. Every player in the respective category will be entered in the auction at base price and the franchise can buy the player at more than or equal to the base price."

The PCB has already invited bids for the broadcasting rights and advertised tenders for commercial partners and sponsors for the PSL. "We have got overwhelming response in terms of interest in buying a franchise," Butt said. "We are now working and talking to various parties and briefing them on franchise concept and the auction will be held next month."

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Wardlaw called up by Scotland

Ian Wardlaw, the Yorkshire seamer, has been invited to train with Scotland and could be earn an immediate call-up for the World Cricket League fixtures against Afghanistan in March.

Wardlaw, 27, has only played 19 matches for Yorkshire after making his debut in July 2011. He admitted it was a shock to asked to train with Scotland in Edinburgh over the next two weekends. He qualifies through his Scottish father and has a path to a career in international cricket.

"I can impress enough to force my way into the squad," Wardlaw said. "Afghanistan are going good. No team will take them lightly and they have real quality with their bowlers who can bowl at pace and they have some good batters that are very strong in one-day cricket"

Scotland and Afghanistan continue their World Cup qualifying campaign with four World Cricket League Championship matches in Sharjah at the start of March before an Intercontinental Cup fixture in Abu Dhabi.

"There will be a lot of pressure on the matches," Wardlaw said. "Only the top two from the group get automatic qualification to the World Cup. Even though Scotland are currently in second spot, we cannot afford to slip up and Afghanistan could be one of those teams that could embarrass you if you're not prepared and focused."

If Wardlaw impresses he could find himself lining up against Pakistan and Australia over the summer, along with Neil Carter, who ended his Warwickshire career at the end of last season but declared his intention to play for Scotland.

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Rohit needed this innings - Dhoni

MS Dhoni has said Rohit Sharma's half-century in the fourth ODI against England was a timely innings and one that would give the batsman confidence after a succession of low scores at international level.

Rohit opened in India's chase of 258 and contributed significantly to India's series-clinching victory in Mohali. He made 83 off 93 deliveries in the five-wicket win.

"I am glad he scored runs because he is one of the most god-gifted talents that is around," Dhoni said after the game. "Of course an innings like this was very much needed for him. It will give him a lot of confidence and also time at the top level. Personally I am very happy for him."

Rohit had not played in the previous three ODIs against England, with India choosing to give Ajinkya Rahane a run in the side. But after several unconvincing performances, Rahane was left out and Rohit was asked to open for only the fourth time in his ODI career.

"We all felt he is someone who can be a really good opener, in the sense he cuts and pulls really well," Dhoni said. "Also, with two openers, you want one of them to be slightly more aggressive than the other. I think he accepted the challenge, he also felt he got into the side because Manoj [Tiwary] was unfit. So it was an opportunity for him. The good thing was he took it as a challenge."

Rohit anchored the first half of India's chase, forming half-century stands with Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, before his dismissal in the 32nd over. When asked what might have happened had Rohit not performed today, Dhoni said it was a difficult question to answer. "It's very important to think and go in one direction, not only as coach and captain but also with the selectors because at the end of the day, mutually we decide who is the best available talent and you have to give those guys a bit of a rope.

"I don't know what would have happened if Rohit had not scored runs or in any other scenario. The best that we could have done was give him another chance in Dharamsala and then see, because we are not playing too many ODIs after that. We all felt he is very talented, he got an opportunity in the last series in Sri Lanka where he got a few good deliveries."

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Rival governing body gains momentum

The breakaway American Cricket Foundation has made public a draft constitution for review on its web site as it continues its gradual growth towards mounting a challenge against the USA Cricket Association to become the officially recognised governing body for cricket in America by the ICC.

The proposed constitution includes key differences from USACA's method of governance such as term limits and the offer of membership to individual players and clubs separate from leagues.

"It has long been our goal to provide US Cricket with a selfless platform that will unite all cricket constituencies through a universal appeal that can accelerate US cricket development," Gangaram Singh, coordinator of the ACF constitution committee, said in an ACF press release.

The proposed term limits would cap any ACF board member's service at a maximum of eight consecutive years. Term limits were suggested as an amendment to the USACA Constitution by several candidates ahead of the USACA general election in April. USACA President Gladstone Dainty, who won re-election in April, has been in that role since 2003. In Dainty's time as USACA president, USACA has twice been suspended by the ICC during periods marked by internal struggles and poor governance.

	The offer to individual players and clubs of membership, and potentially voting privileges with it, would be a major shift from the USACA administration.

The offer to individual players and clubs of membership, and potentially voting privileges with it, would be a major shift from the USACA administration. Currently, USACA voting rights are offered to member leagues only, which was a source of controversy at the April elections when 32 out of the 47 member leagues were disenfranchised. As a result, it only took a majority of eight votes to decide the winner for each race.

ACF on the other hand seems determined to offer membership to as many constituents as possible as part of its mission of inclusion. While member leagues would vote for six of the 11 director positions on the ACF board of directors, the proposed constitution states that all individual players and clubs would be eligible to vote for other at-large director positions on the board so that every cricketer would have a legitimate say in electing their representatives. The initial proposal is for five player votes to be equivalent to one member club vote in any election for the at-large directors.

Separate from the proposed ACF board of directors, the constitution also calls for the formation of an advisory and judicial committee comprised mainly of player representatives. The lack of any player representation in USACA committees has been a stumbling block preventing them from gaining recognition from the United States Olympic Committee. The ACF is understood to be aggressively pursuing USOC recognition which would do a great deal to legitimise their efforts.

While the immediate prospects of the ACF being recognized by the ICC are slim, gaining and maintaining USOC recognition could be valuable down the road for the ACF if Twenty20 cricket is eventually introduced into the Olympic program. Having USOC recognition could mean the ACF gets to select a US representative side for the Olympics and not USACA. It would be a solid bargaining chip to wave in front of the ICC in an attempt to usurp USACA's status as the ICC's officially recognized governing body.

If the majority of the 32 disenfranchised leagues from the USACA general election in April formally become members of ACF, it would also mean they would have a bigger membership base than USACA. It could allow them to pose an argument to the ICC that they are representative of a wider number of constituents in the USA than USACA. In a lawsuit filed by former USACA Executive Secretary Kenwyn Williams, court documents show an affidavit filed by Dainty in which he states that there are currently 12 member leagues in USACA.

	If the ACF continues on the path of growth and engages in a struggle with USACA over ICC recognition, it could lead to another ICC suspension for US Cricket.

If the ACF continues on the path of growth and engages in a struggle with USACA over ICC recognition, it could lead to another ICC suspension for US Cricket.

USA was locked out of international cricket in 2005 due to poor governance after the Council of League Presidents got into a legal battle with USACA over the 2005 USACA election results. At the time, USA was scheduled to participate in the ICC Intercontinental Cup first-class cricket tournament for Associates after having done so in 2004 but USA was removed from the 2005 edition during suspension and hasn't participated since.

In 2006, the entity known as Major League Cricket petitioned the ICC to become the recognised governing body of cricket in the USA to replace USACA. MLC's attempts at recognition were eventually rebuffed. USACA was suspended again in 2007 after failing to ratify a constitution. They were scheduled to participate in ICC World Cricket League Division Three that year, but were instead demoted to Division Five due to suspension. USA had qualified and played in the ICC Champions Trophy as recently as 2004 but they have struggled to climb back up the Associate ranks ever since they were readmitted into international cricket in 2008.

The ACF has its origins in the aftermath of the controversial USACA general elections in April 2012 in which 32 out of the 47 USACA member leagues were deemed ineligible by the incumbent USACA board ahead of the election following a USACA compliance review. In May, a group of league presidents from among the 32 disenfranchised leagues banded together to declare their intent to discontinue their membership in USACA and form a new rival organisation called Cricket America before changing their name to the American Cricket Federation.

In October, the ACF held their inaugural Twenty20 National Championship in Los Angeles which was won by the Southern California Cricket Association, who defeated the Cricket League of New Jersey in the final. The tournament featured 15 games across three days all played on turf wickets at Woodley Park. By comparison, USACA only managed to schedule a single national tournament match in 2012, a 50-over contest in Florida on November 11. Neither the ACF nor USACA have set any domestic tournament dates for 2013.

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Lions hit by De Kock, Tahir bans

The Lions have been dealt a major blow in their quest for the first-class title. Key playmakers Quinton de Kock and Imran Tahir have been banned for one match each following disciplinary hearings.

Both players pleaded guilty to Level 2 offences which result in a ban of one first-class or two limited-overs game in accordance with CSA's code of conduct.

De Kock was involved in an on-field scuffle with Cape Cobras' Alistair Gray last week. After the umpires asked for the ball to be changed because of suspected tampering, the Lions pair at the crease chose a ball the Cobras were unhappy with and Gray and de Kock exchanged words before de Kock pushed Gray.

The day after the story hit local media, de Kock tweeted an apology for "embarrassing" his team and pledged to "do everything I can to make up for it." His contriteness was noted by the disciplinary commissioner.

"I find Mr de Kock guilty of a breach of clause 6.3.1 (c) and (f) of the Code of Conduct in that he inappropriately and deliberately had physical contact with a player in the course of play; and used language that is seriously obscene, offensive or insulting towards another participant," disciplinary commissioner Rian Cloete said in a statement.

"Mr de Kock has a clean disciplinary record and has never been charged with an offence in cricket. Mr de Kock further apologised to umpires George and Jerling for his behaviour. "

Even though the bans apply to the next matches a player will feature in, de Kock who is currently playing for South Africa in the ODI series against New Zealand will be able to continue representing the national side. Instead, he will miss the Lions' match against the Knights in two weeks' time.

Tahir's offence came in a match against the Knights late last year in Potchefstroom. After an interchange of angry words between the Knights' bowlers and Tahir, the legspinner issued some choice words from the dressing room for all to hear before going on to score his fourth first-class fifty. Tahir, who offered apology in writing, was charged with the breach of clause 6.3.1 (f) as well.

Tahir will miss this week's match between the Lions and the Titans in Benoni which could prove an important one for the Lions as they try to catch the leaders. The Lions are third on the points table, 13 points behind the Cobras but they have a game in hand. De Kock will miss this fixture because he is part of the national squad

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McCullum hails 'phenomenal' victory

Brendon McCullum termed New Zealand's series victory against South Africa "phenomenal" after their 27-run win in Kimberley and hoped it would send "a bit of love" to the supporters.

After two Test matches that produced a combined total of seven days play and two innings defeats there were low expectations of New Zealand coming into the one-day matches, but they clinched a one-wicket win in Paarl and caused South Africa to implode during their run chase in the second match with five run-outs.

It clinched New Zealand's first series win in any format in South Africa. "It's a phenomenal win, the ninth ranked team in the world against the top team," McCullum said at the post-match presentation. "It'll go down as one of our biggest wins in the limited-overs games."

The victory was set up by a magnificent innings from Kane Williamson who struck an unbeaten 145 to lead New Zealand to a competitive, but far from overwhelming, 279 for 8. It had been a difficult tour for Williamson, who struggled against pace in the Tests, but he controlled his innings superbly especially through a middle-order wobble.

"Williamson's innings was as good as we've seen from a New Zealander," McCullum said, before giving a mention to his brother. "Nathan McCullum was phenomenal in that spell of bowling and the fielding was probably as good as we have shown. I'm very pleased, and for the fans back home this is a bit of love for them as well."

Williamson, who suffered cramp in the later stages of his innings which had started in the third over, said: "It was nice to contribute like that in such an important game. It's been tough playing the No. 1 team in the world. I cramped up a little bit but the guys at the other end helped us get a good total."

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