Asif criticises timing of ICC's spot-fixing verdict

Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan bowler who was imprisoned in England for spot-fixing, has criticised the ICC, claiming cricket's governing body prejudiced his case ahead of the criminal trial in London by the timing of the verdict of its independent inquiry. Asif was speaking in Lahore, following his return from England five months after completing half of his one-year sentence.

Asif, along with Salman Butt, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court in November 2011, on charges of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments over deliberate no-balls bowled during the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010. Mohammad Amir, the third player accused by the Crown Prosecution Service, had pleaded guilty to the charges.

However, the three players had already been found guilty by an ICC tribunal on February 5, 2011, and were banned for various durations. Asif's ban was for seven years and that punishment was announced a day after the CPS levied its charges against the players.

"It was quite difficult time, but thank god it is over," he said. "The way ICC has prejudiced my case, there are lots of things which are not yet clear and nobody knows it, even you people [the media] have not highlighted it, but I will do it.

"I didn't do anything wrong. There was one no-ball and, whatever the scenario was behind it, I described it in the court. There are lots of things and it will be in my book, which will be launched very soon."

Asif claimed he was going to appeal against the ICC's ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland and a hearing, he said, would take place in February 2013. "There's a hearing in February, second or third week, and it will be decided. Hopefully I will get justice there because it's just the ICC and me, and Inshallah everything will be all right.

"I'm fighting my own case, I have my own legal team," Asif said, criticising the Pakistan board as well. "They [PCB] have their own policy and they took a back step, when I think they should have taken a step forward."

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Good to have Pietersen back - Bresnan

Tim Bresnan said that Kevin Pietersen's return for his first England appearance in almost three months, after a destabilising episode that threatened to see the batsman cast into the international wilderness, was no different to having a player come back into the side following an injury.

Pietersen was part of the England XI taking on India A in a three-day tour match and took a catch off Bresnan's bowling to help remove Ajinkya Rahane in the first session. Pietersen last featured for England in the second Test against South Africa at Headingley at the start of August but Bresnan described his team-mate as the "same old Kev" and said it was good to have him back.

"For the lads it's nothing different to having a player come back to the squad who has been missing for a while," Bresnan said. "There's not been much made of it. Everyone in the know of what's being going on, they've sat down and spoke about things and I guess a few of the senior players have spoken, but for the rest of the boys it's pretty much been like having someone who's been injured come back in the side, it's not been exceptionally different.

"It's been the same old Kev. The energy in the field he showed today, all day, it was just Kev to be honest. It's been good."

Despite losing Steven Finn to a thigh problem early in the day, England's bowlers made regular breakthroughs after being asked to bowl in their first tour outing. Bresnan was the pick of the attack, with 3 for 59, while Graeme Swann also picked up three wickets as India A closed on 369 for 9, Manoj Tiwary top-scoring with 93.

"Overs under the belt is key in warm-up games, especially when we're playing Twenty20 cricket for quite a spell over the last month or so," Bresnan said. "So definitely, get a day out there, get a day in the legs, a day in the field.

"You can get value for your shots out there, if it's past the infield, it's pretty much four. There's not much margin for error short or full so I think that's a bit of rustiness but you expect that first day out.

"They played nicely, Tiwary played lovely but it seems like a nice wicket to bat on and obviously we'll know more after we have a go on it but it wasn't doing particularly much. And they dug in for a partnership when the going was good so that's part of what cricket's about."

The biggest stand of the day came when Tiwary put on 110 with Irfan Pathan for the seventh wicket. Tiwary was eventually the eighth man out, the first of two in two deliveries for Bresnan, who said that he had enjoyed bowling with the SG ball. "We've been using them a bit in Dubai the last couple of day," he said. "I like the balls here, they're nice to bowl with, swing a bit early on and reverse a bit later on, the spinners like them. It's a lot like a Dukes, but not a Dukes."

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South Africa's batting depth 'daunting'

Four years ago, JP Duminy stepped into Test cricket as if he was a veteran. On debut in Perth, his composed 50 not out helped South Africa complete the second-highest chase in Test history. In the second Test in Melbourne, he calmly compiled 166. It seemed he was destined to move up the order from No.6. Now South Africa are back in Australia for the first time since that trip and their batting is so deep that Duminy could be coming in all the way down at No.7.

It's a daunting prospect for Australia's bowlers. At the top is Graeme Smith, who was an inspirational leader last time South Africa visited Australia, and his opening partner Alviro Petersen, who has made himself a fixture in the side with three hundreds in seven Tests this year. Then there's Hashim Amla, who last year in South Africa the Australians found about as immovable as Table Mountain.

Then there's the small matter of Jacques Kallis at No.4. It is true that over his 18-year career Kallis has not saved his best for Australia, but anyone with 12,641 runs at 56.94 is not to be trifled with. Only once the first three wickets have fallen will the Australians see AB de Villiers, who until earlier this year was the highest-ranked Test batsman in the world. And after all that, Australia's bowlers must still deal with Jacques Rudolph and Duminy.

What makes South Africa's batting line-up even deeper than in recent series is the fact that Mark Boucher's forced retirement through a serious eye injury has allowed de Villiers to take over the wicketkeeping duties. Although he has been battling a back injury, de Villiers is likely to retain the gloves against Australia, ahead of the backup wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile.

But for all the runs South Africa's batsmen have piled up in Test cricket, the Australians know they are not infallible. James Pattinson, who is likely to be part of the attack for the first Test at the Gabba, watched with interest at the Wanderers last year when the teenager Pat Cummins delivered a sustained, hostile spell to the veteran Kallis, full of accurate bouncers, few runs, and culminating in an edge to slip.

"Any batsman is vulnerable if you bowl well," Pattinson said. "The Gabba and the WACA is going to give some good assistance for that bouncer and it's all about getting your plans against the right batsmen. We've definitely touched on that in the last couple of weeks… about how to set different batsmen up.

"Amla has been in great form, Graeme Smith has been in great form and you look at them and they're probably their key at the top of the order, as well as Kallis. It's a pretty long batting line-up and a pretty daunting task as a bowler but something that I'm looking forward to. These challenges don't come around very often. Hopefully we can knock them over and get the wood on them.

"They build their innings around Smith. He's been a fantastic player for a number of years and their captain as well. I think if you can get on top of the captain early on, especially early on in this series, it brings the other players down. If we can try and get on top of that opening partnership, get early wickets, that's the key for us, to get a look at Amla and Kallis pretty early with the new rock."

The ability of Australia's bowlers to make inroads into South Africa's batting line-up will be all the more important if Australia's batsmen wobble. The Gabba and the WACA will suit Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, arguably the best pace-bowling trio in world cricket. Pattinson, 22, was awestruck when he first saw Steyn bowl live, curling the ball whichever way he wanted, at express speed. It's a skill Pattinson has when at his best but he knows that for now, Steyn remains a cut above.

"I remember the first time I went to South Africa and I watched Dale Steyn bowl and it was unbelievable watching him bowl live," Pattinson said. "He's a fantastic athlete and it's fantastic the way he goes about it, his aggression and he swings the ball at good pace. He's someone that I would like to bowl like one day and have his record.

"It's going to be pretty hard to do because he's such a good bowler. Our batsmen are going to have to be on their best games to try and combat him and Morkel and Philander, who's almost the missing man in this, nobody is talking about him but his record over the last year has been fantastic. There'll be a bit more pressure on the bowlers to bowl well and look after our batsmen as well."

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Steyn signs on for Brisbane Heat

Dale Steyn will play a one-off match for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League after South Africa's Test tour of Australia finishes in early December. Steyn has signed on to play the Heat's first match of the tournament, against the Hobart Hurricanes at the Gabba, to cover for the Heat's other international fast-bowling recruit, Kemar Roach, who will join the squad after the first game.

South Africa's last Test finishes at the WACA on December 5, which will make it easy for Steyn to stay on for a few days for the game. The Heat coach Darren Lehmann, who coached Steyn with the Deccan Chargers during the IPL last season, said he was thrilled Steyn had agreed to fill the one-match vacancy.

"I was pleasantly surprised when he said he was [interested]," Lehmann said. "In fact I was over the moon. It's one game, and it is a massive bonus to have him available, but it is the first game and that gives us a great opportunity to hit the ground running from the outset."

"We struggled to get momentum early last season and that's an area we've had a good look at. But throwing someone like Dale into the mix on the Gabba for our first game is a handy way to help address that. This has all happened pretty quickly for us but it's certainly something for us and the fans to get excited about ahead of the opening game."

Steyn said: "Even though it's only for one match, I'm looking forward to experiencing the Australian domestic T20 setup and the passionate cricket fans that I've heard lots about. The Heat squad has some talented cricketers on board, who I have no doubt can make a telling impact this coming season."

The addition of Steyn comes after the Heat also signed Mitchell Johnson to their squad this week. The Heat have now signed 16 players and must add two more to their roster by the end of the contracting period on November 30.

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Amended playing conditions to take effect

The changes to the playing conditions for different formats of cricket, which include amendments to Powerplays, DRS, no-balls and bouncers among others, will take effect from October 30, when Sri Lanka play New Zealand in a Twenty20 international in Pallekele.

These recommendations were made by the ICC's Cricket Committee in June, and they were endorsed by its Chief Executives Committee later that month.

General changes

DRS (Test and ODIs)
An amendment has been made to the LBW protocols. The margin of uncertainty applicable to the point of impact with the pad has been increased so that it is the same as provided for determining the projected point of impact with the stumps. For example, if the centre of the ball is shown to be impacting in line within an area demarcated by a line drawn down the middle of the outer stumps (and the bottom of the bails), then the decision will always be out.

If the whole of the ball is shown to be impacting outside the line of the stumps, then the decision will always be not out. If there is anything in between, the original on-field decision will stand.

No-balls (All formats)
After every dismissal that is not permitted off a no-ball, and subject to the availability of technology, the third umpire will check for a foot fault and advise the on-field umpire accordingly over a two-way radio.

Dead ball (All formats)
The playing conditions have been altered to include the use of the Spydercam, a camera that moves over the field on suspended cables, by broadcasters. If the ball, while in play, is hit by the batsman onto the camera or its cables, it will be called a dead ball.

Over-rates (All formats)
The allowances given to the fielding team because of time wasting by the batting team will be deducted from the allowances granted to the batting team in the determination of its over-rate.

Changes for Test matches

Day-night Tests
Participating countries can decide whether to play a day-night Test. The two boards will decide on the hours of play - six hours per day - and on the specifics of the ball that will be used.

Intervals
Although the duration of the lunch and tea intervals remain unchanged - 40 and 20 minutes respectively - the host team, with the consent of the other side, can apply to the ICC for an approval for intervals of 30 minutes each.

Changes for ODIs

Powerplays and fielding restrictions
There will be only two blocks of Powerplay overs, instead of three. For uninterrupted innings, the first block will be during the first ten overs and only two fielders will be allowed outside the 30-yard circle. The second block, comprising five overs, will be taken by the batting side and must be completed by the 40th over. Only three fielders will be allowed outside the circle during the second Powerplay.

During non-Powerplay overs, a maximum of four fielders can be placed outside the circle, a reduction from the earlier five.

Short-pitched deliveries
Law 42.6 (a) has been amended to allow the bowler a maximum of two short-pitched deliveries per over in an ODI.

Changes for Twenty20 internationals

One-over per side eliminator
In both innings of the eliminator, the fielding side will choose which end to bowl from. Only nominated players in the main match may participate in the eliminator. Should any player be unable to continue to participate in the eliminator due to injury, illness or other wholly acceptable reasons, the relevant laws and playing conditions as they apply in the main match shall also apply in the eliminator. Any penance time being served in the main match shall be carried forward to the eliminator.

The fielding captain or his nominee shall select the ball with which he wishes to bowl his over in the eliminator from the box of spare balls provided by the umpires. The box will contain the balls used in the main match, but no new balls. The team fielding first in the eliminator shall have first choice of ball. The team fielding second may choose to use the same ball as chosen by the team bowling first. If the ball needs to be changed, then playing conditions as stated for the main match shall apply.

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IPL teams face October 31 player deadline

The IPL franchises have been given an opportunity to reduce their player costs, should they wish to do so, because of a tweak to regulations made by the league's governing council earlier this month. The franchises have been asked to submit a list of players they want to retain for the next season, to be played in April-May 2013, by October 31 while the rest will go into the next auction.

What this effectively means is that a franchise can release a player who was bought at a high price, make sure he is included in the auction pool, and then try and buy him at a lower price.

"It is possible for a team or teams to rectify a player's price. For instance, Saurabh Tiwary was bought by the [Royal Challengers] Bangalore at $1.6 million, way higher than the estimated price for the batsman," an IPL official told ESPNcricinfo. "If they wish, they can cut ties with him and again buy him at the auction at a cheaper rate."

Such an approach, however, is fraught with risk. "No team would like to disturb its core group for reducing the player's fees, so I doubt if any team would actually take the risk of putting a key player into the auction pool," another IPL team executive said. "If Irfan Pathan, bought at $1.9 million by Delhi Daredevils, goes into the auction pool for a correction and if two and three teams are looking for an allrounder at the auction, then there is every likelihood that the player will be sold for almost the same amount and Delhi may lose him eventually."

With less than two days to go for the deadline to submit the player list to the IPL authorities, the teams seemed to prefer to keep most of their leading players. Officials of three franchises confirmed they "won't fiddle around with most of our overseas players". And those officials also confirmed they "will release a few of the domestic players".

"After all, we cannot ignore the trading window that will precede the auction," an official said. "If we need to have a re-look at the core group of our squad, we can do so even during the trading window. But some of the lesser exposed and lesser skilled domestic players will turn out to be free agents in two days."

Another factor the franchises are dealing with ahead of the October 31 deadline is finalising whether their veteran players can last another season. Sourav Ganguly's decision not to feature in the next IPL is a result of the same. However, two other veterans, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, are set to play at least one more IPL season. Neither Rajasthan Royals nor Mumbai Indians intend to part ways with them.

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A chance for Milne and Latham to grow

In his second over in international cricket, Adam Milne clocked 151 kilometres an hour. At eighteen, he had perhaps brewed more hype at home than even Daniel Vettori had enjoyed when he first arrived in international cricket as a teenager. Slim and long, almost pencil-like, with a willowy run-up and a wind up and release that was nearly liquid, it was not difficult to see what all the excitement was about. As countless fast bowling coaches have said, you can teach swing and seam, but you can't teach pace.

Tom Latham debuted just over a year later, and he too had already been earmarked, at 19. He didn't have a mountain of domestic runs behind him, as Kane Williamson did at a similar age, but he did have a startling range of strokes and the power to make them count. In his second ODI, he proved he was as adept at the shuffle-and-paddle past fine leg off the medium pace bowlers, as he was at the bludgeoned slog sweep off the spinners.

Now both men are 20, and are being invested in. Captain Ross Taylor has hinted Milne will be unleashed at Pallekele in the Twenty20 on Tuesday. He only bowled one over in the World Twenty20, but with the stakes much lower in a bilateral series, New Zealand can afford to blood their tearaway, particularly on a track as fast and bouncy as can be found on the subcontinent. Martin Guptill, meanwhile, sits out the limited overs leg so that Latham can assume his favoured role of facing the new ball - a luxury he has not had so far in his international career.

"We're trying to give everyone a go in the next three matches, but that depends on a couple of things," Taylor said on the eve of the tour opener. "Tom Latham will be given the job of opening the innings. Being a left hander, he gives us that flexibility and change up the top."

Despite an encouraging first series against Zimbabwe, Latham's talent has only been visible in brief glimpses since. Against West Indies in July, he was uncharacteristically circumspect, striking at less than 50 and scoring poorly as a result. Perhaps beginning his innings against good quality spin hindered him. Openers, it is said, are a breed apart, and at his age, the lower middle order must have seemed alien. He has not yet acquired the versatility to suddenly become a finisher. Latham will not have the same excuse in Sri Lanka, though. With the hosts also blooding a new fast bowler in Shaminda Eranga, who will likely take the new ball in the first Twenty20, Latham can compete on more even terms.

"He has had a lot of success at the top of the innings as well, through age group cricket," Taylor said. "A lot of new players come in to the middle order where it can be a little tough to manipulate the field. If Tom opens, the field will be in and the ball will be hard and it gives him the opportunity to hit through the line and hit over the top."

Milne's returns have also been disappointing, despite his promise. His cheapest spell from four Twenty20s is no wicket for 46 from four overs. Too often he bowls too short, and at his pace, even the mishits barrel to the fence or sail over it. There are good balls amid the tripe, but even at 150 kph, Milne's present inconsistency is unacceptable at international level.

He couldn't ask for a better mentor than New Zealand's last true fast bowler. If it was not obvious that Shane Bond's pace was allied with considerable fast-bowling acumen during his career, he has surely made his brilliance clear during insightful stints in the commentary box. Bond knew that pace and intimidation alone would not bother top-level batsmen, and developed one of the best inswingers in the game. Milne has been introduced to international cricket much earlier than Bond was, but if he doesn't mature as quickly as he has risen through the system, he risks squandering his potential.

There is some elusive ingredient missing currently missing from New Zealand's set up. The talent is there, and now with Bond on board, they also seem to have a capable team of coaches. But there has not been a spark to set off that concoction, no catalyst to spur them out of mediocrity. For all their promise, Latham and Milne have played like boys so far. If they devote themselves to learning their craft and take the chances being afforded them, perhaps they can grow into the men that bring New Zealand out of the darkness.

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Cummins left out of Sheffield Shield match

Pat Cummins has been left out of the New South Wales side for their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland, to start at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Friday. However, there is a chance that Cummins, 19, could be included as a substitute player for the last day of the match on Monday, with several of the New South Wales players due to join Australia's Test squad.

If the Blues were bowling on the final day of the match, that would allow Cummins to ease his way back into red-ball cricket after spending the past two months playing Twenty20 cricket with Australia and the Sydney Sixers. Cummins, who has not played a first-class match for nearly a year, is expected to be considered for the third Test against South Africa in Perth, but only if his body and form holds up through Shield cricket in the meantime.

New South Wales have named a squad featuring four members of Australia's Test squad - Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, David Warner and Mitchell Starc - and only two players who have not played for or toured with the Australians. Brad Haddin will keep the wicketkeeping gloves ahead of Peter Nevill, who has been named as a specialist batsman.

The Blues will be without Moises Henriques and Steven Smith, who will instead be part of the Australia A team to play South Africa in Sydney.

New South Wales squad David Warner, Shane Watson, Scott Henry, Nic Maddinson, Michael Clarke (capt), Peter Nevill, Brad Haddin (wk), Steve O'Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Trent Copeland, Josh Hazlewood, Doug Bollinger.

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Rowe anguish fires World Cup push

England Women endured the anguish of a defeat in the final of the Women's World T20 to Australia but for Susie Rowe, her frustration was multiplied by having to watch the tournament from her home in Kent.

Rowe, a lower-order batsman, had been a feature of the England T20 side that won 29 out of 32 completed matches since her debut against Sri Lanka in November 2010. She made 20 appearances before breaking a thumb in the second of a five-match T20 series against West Indies, which England won 4-1. The injury at Old Trafford ruled her out of the Women's World T20.

"I've never felt anything quite like it really," she told BBC Radio Kent. "The moment I had that X-ray and put into terms what that actually meant, missing the World T20, there's no way I can describe that feeling."

England fared well in Rowe's absence, comfortably winning four matches en route to the final. But they failed to regain the title they won in 2009, losing to Australia by four runs.

"It was very painful to not be there," Rowe said, having been forced to become an armchair supporter. "Seeing them on TV when I wasn't there was a bit strange to get my head around. I think my niece heard a few swear words. I was getting quite into it."

Rowe will now turn her attentions to the longer format of the game, targeting a place in the squad for the Women's World Cup in India in February next year. She has something to prove having only made one ODI appearance. "My forte is more Twenty20," she conceded. "The 50-over format has no guarantees for me. I'll be looking to get into that final 15 for the World Cup. I need to work hard and put in good performances in training."

England will travel to India as defending champions, having won the 2009 World Cup with a four-wicket win over Australia. Rowe is keen to quickly regain her fitness and begin pressing a claim for more caps in the 50-over side. "To be honest, they know generally who they want to take," Rowe said. "I'm going to do everything that I can to try and put my case forward."

She began by entering the Great South Run. "I'm literally twiddling my thumbs at the moment for rehab. I hope to be training properly in a couple of weeks once I get my thumb fully strong and mobile. I've started batting already but I feel like a village cricketer at the moment."

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Title win was no fluke - Haddin

Brad Haddin, the victorious Sydney Sixers captain, has said his side's comprehensive ten-wicket-win in the Champions League final was no fluke, and that they had been preparing for the big game for over two weeks. The Sixers restricted the home side Lions to a below-par 121 on a Wanderers pitch expected to favour the batsmen, and needed just 12.3 overs to chase the target.

The Sixers, winners of the Big Bash League in Australia, were the only team to remain unbeaten throughout the tournament. They began with a 14-run win in a high-scorer against Chennai Super Kings and won their next three matches convincingly until they were stretched to the final ball in the semi-final against the Titans.

"We've been building for this the last two weeks. If you look at the start of the tournament we were very nervous," Haddin said. "We had a lot of nervous energy in the first game and the semi-final, but leading into today's game we were quite relaxed. I'm just glad it came on the big stage. We've worked hard and the performance tonight wasn't a fluke."

The Sixers had one of the strongest seam-bowling attacks in the competition, comprising Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. However, Haddin chose to open with his spinners, Nathan McCullum and Steve O'Keefe, and the change in strategy worked in the Sixers' favour as the Lions top order suffered a meltdown. The hosts were reeling at 9 for 4 and despite a fighting innings by Jean Symes, the Lions couldn't post a challenging total.

Haddin said giving the second over to the left-arm spinner O'Keefe was a spontaneous decision.

"I made the decision to give O'Keefe the second over after the fourth ball of the first, but I was always going to open with McCullum," Haddin said. "They would have been looking at our fast bowlers leading to this game and I don't think their two openers would have been thinking too much about our spinners. Tonight it paid off. I think the Lions were quite surprised we did that. They (spinners) allowed our quicks, the best bowlers, to bowl the last ten overs.

Haddin said the win was a result of contributions from several players. "I said to our guys at the start of the game that there's going to be some big moments and if we did the simple things right then they will crack before us, and they did. We did very well in the BBL with our fielding, it won us a lot of games or put us in good positions," Haddin said.

"We built a lot of pressure, we were able to get wickets early, which in Twenty20 is a big bonus. In the first over, Nathan was hit for a six but came back and took a wicket."

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