No commitment yet on tour to Pak

BCB president Nazmul Hassan met Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman, during the third India-Pakistan ODI in Delhi in a bid to restore bilateral relations, but no firm commitment of a future tour was made during the meeting. Last week, Bangladesh had pulled the plug on a proposed tour to Pakistan in the wake of the the security situation in Pakistan, about which the ICC has also expressed its concern.

"The BCB president assured Mr. Ashraf that he will have detailed discussion on the Pakistan tour with the board's ad hoc executive committee on his return to Bangladesh after attending the Asian Cricket Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur," Jalal Yunus, the BCB's media committee chairman, said. "The two boards also decided to work closely to find out an appropriate time to tour Pakistan."

"They also talked about participation of Pakistani players in the second edition of Bangladesh Premier League."

After the BCB voiced its reluctance to tour Pakistan, the PCB retaliated by questioning its players' availability in the BPL scheduled to begin on January 18. The domestic Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is also going to run during the same time but the BCB are confident that the Pakistan players will show up.

"When the request was made to send the Pakistani players to the BPL, the PCB president neither agreed nor denied so we have to wait and see," Yunus said.

Meanwhile, Dave Richardson, the ICC CEO, has said that the PCB has a lot to do to encourage teams to tour Pakistan. "It's premature to say whether it's still safe to tour Pakistan or not. They've got a difficult situation there. They still have a lot of work to do in convincing the international world that it is safe to go to Pakistan," he said.

In March when the BCB had first announced of its desire to tour Pakistan, the ICC had issued "special dispensation" for cases that required local match officials in a bilateral series if they can't send neutral officials.

Read More..

Harbhajan Singh fined for dissent

Punjab captain Harbhajan Singh has been fined 50% of his match fee for showing dissent at the umpire's decision on the second day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Jharkhand in Jamshedpur.

The incident occurred in the fifth over after tea. Harbhajan, who replaced Manpreet Gony, changed the angle by going round the wicket to Sunny Gupta. The ball lobbed off the pads and went to silly point where the fielder plucked a sharp chance. A huge appeal followed but the umpire CK Nandan turned it down. Harbhajan was so furious at the decision that the other umpire Sanjay Hazare had to step in from square leg to calm him down. Harbhajan showed his disapproval by not just gesturing at the umpire but also kicking the turf in disappointment.

"Harbhajan was found guilty under the article 2.1.3 of the BCCI's Code of Conduct for the players. As a result, he has been fined 50% of his match fees for a Level 1 offence," the match referee Sunil Chaturvedi said after conducting a hearing that involved Harbhajan, both the umpires and Punjab coach Arun Sharma.

Chaturvedi was seen going through the video footage of the incident. It was followed by a hearing, which lasted 20 minutes.

Article 2.1.3 of the BCCI's Code of Conduct for players deals with "(a) excessive, obvious disappointment with an Umpire's decision; (b) an obvious delay in resuming play or leaving the wicket; (c) shaking the head; (d) pointing or looking at the inside edge when given out lbw; (e) pointing to the pad or rubbing the shoulder when caught behind; (f) snatching the cap from the Umpire; (g) requesting a referral to the TV Umpire; and (h) arguing or entering into a prolonged discussion with the Umpire about his decision."

The clause ends with: "It shall not be a defence to any charge brought under this Article to show that the Umpire might have, or in fact did, get any decision wrong."

Read More..

Jaggi ton lights up curtailed day

Jharkhand 310 for 6 (Nemat 100, Jaggi 126*) v Punjab
Scorecard

Poor visibility in Jamshedpur, due to fog, meant that only 40 overs were possible during the second day, resulting in over two sessions of play lost due to bad weather over two days. In that period, Ishank Jaggi scored his maiden hundred of the Ranji season to help Jharkhand remain in the game. Had it not been for Jaggi's resilient knock, combined with flair and caution, the Punjab openers could well have had a look in before the premature end to the day's proceedings.

If the half hour delay on the opening day was bad, the second day was worse. Play began 80 minutes after the scheduled start of 9am, reducing the first session to 70 minutes. When the teams returned after lunch, they took the field for only two balls, before returning indoors for almost an hour and a half. Another 65 minutes of play was followed by tea and the final session only lasted 40-odd minutes.

Walking in with Jharkhand at an uneasy 97 for 3, Jaggi had to resort to defensive tactics during the opening day. His overnight partner, the opener Rameez Nemat, was undone by a Harbhajan Singh top-spinner three balls after celebrating his maiden first-class ton. Following the dismissal, Jaggi preferred to play his shots instead of just blocking the ball. As a result, he ended up scoring 76 out of his team's tally of 115 on the second day to remain unbeaten on 126.

Jaggi had to move down the order from his preferred No.3 position with the inclusion of three openers in the XI. He drove the Punjab spin duo of Harbhajan, who appeared to be at his best after a while, and legspinner Sarabjit Ladda at the start of the day. He was rewarded for his approach as he managed seven boundaries in the first session, in contrast to his five during the course of the first day.

Soon after a prolonged lunch break, Jaggi flicked Siddarth Kaul to the square leg fence to bring up his seventh first-class century. Then on, it was the Kaul show with the second new ball. The medium-pacer first forced Kumar Deobrat to nick one to Uday Kaul behind the stumps. Four overs later, he forced the wicketkeeper SP Gautam to edge to Amitoze Singh at first slip. Jaggi and Sunny Gupta then avoided any further damage till the weather had the final say.

Both camps would hope for better weather in the coming days so the match will not have to be extended by an additional day in case the first innings is not completed within five days. On a day when uncertainty prevailed over who would be ruling the state of Jharkhand, there was no doubt whatsoever that the winner on the cricket field at the Keenan Stadium was the weather.

Read More..

Warm welcome for Pakistan team

Pakistan returned home to a rousing welcome after winning the ODI series against archrivals India and drawing the Twenty20 series 1-1. Large throngs of people waited outside the Lahore International Airport to greet the team on their success in the historic tour.

Pakistan, after dominant performances throughout the series, came close to taking the ODI series 3-0 in Delhi. But India fought back and avoided what would have been their first whitewash since 1983-84. Pakistan, however, flourished throughout the series and were, distinctly, the better side.

"The significant part of the series was the young lot stood up to take the team's veins," Misbah said. "Throughout the series, the young and new players contributed in the victories.

"I will give credit to the whole team but there were few youngsters like [Mohammad] Irfan, Junaid [Khan] and Nasir Jamshed - who have really impressed. They have proved themselves against world's best batting line-up and have outclassed them. They have a bright future and if they continue to perform like this, they will go way forward."

Nasir Jamshed, 23, led the batting with consecutive centuries in Chennai and Kolkata and ended up as the leading run-getter in the series with 241 runs. His Man-of-the-Series-winning performance helped him climb 45 places in the ODI rankings to a career-best 31st.

"It was the great tour for me not because I have scored runs but the centuries I scored helped my team to win the matches," Jamshed said. "Riding on my current form I would like to continue the runs feast in the upcoming South Africa tour."

Mohammad Hafeez, the T20 captain, too had a magnificent series. He became the number one allrounder in ODIs following success with both bat and ball in the series.

"It was series we have been waiting desperately," Hafeez said. "The team played with full focus and proved how good we are. It's the victory of the whole nation and the highlight of the series were the trio - Irfan, Junaid and Nasir."

As the team, along with the PCB chairman, Zaka Ashraf, emerged at the arrival gates, the chants of Pakistan Zindabad (Long live Pakistan) and the beats of traditional drums resonated in the chilly winter evening. In a brief ceremony at the gates, Ashraf garlanded both the captains - Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafez - and said that it was a special win beating India in India.

"It's a unique honor for us that we defeated India in their own country," Ashraf said. "Our team is very disciplined and organised, the way our captains have performed, I think they deserve congratulations from everyone in the country. The way they have fought in India, they deserve appreciation."

Read More..

Warne and Samuels in ugly clash

Melbourne Renegades 1 for 147 (Finch 67*) beat Melbourne Stars 9 for 146 (Wright 29, Sheridan 3-36) by nine wickets
Scorecard

Shane Warne and Marlon Samuels were involved in an ugly confrontation as Melbourne Renegades secured a home semi-final in the Big Bash League in front of a record crowd for domestic cricket in Australia.

Aaron Finch's 67 off just 47 balls helped the Renegades to a nine-wicket win with seven balls to spare in front of a crowd of 46,581 which turned out for a fiery Melbourne derby.

Cricket Australia's delight at the success of the much-debated derby formula will be overshadowed by the ill discipline on the field as tempers flared between Warne, the Melbourne Stars captain, and Samuels, the enigmatic Renegades West Indies all-rounder, with several incidents likely to be looked at closely in the coming days.

CA officials are expected to announce details of a disciplinary hearing on Monday, although they will first check on the well-being of Samuels, who damaged an eye-socket after top-edging a ball from Lasith Malinga through the grill of his helmet and needed treatment at a Melbourne hospital. His tournament is assumed to be over.

Samuels angered the hosts during the Melboune Stars innings when he grabbed David Hussey as he was trying to turn for a second run - and Warne let him know all about it when he came out to bat.

In a verbal tirade picked up by Fox Sports microphones, Warne criticised Samuels for his unsporting behaviour at the end of the leg-spinner's second over, grabbing the West Indian by the shirt in illustration and jabbing his finger in his face.

Tempers reached boiling point the following over when Warne fielded a drive by Samuels and flipped the ball straight at the West Indian from close range as he stood in his crease. Samuels reacted angrily at the provocation, throwing his bat over Warne's head as the umpires rushed in to calm the situation.

It was a clear display of gamesmanship by Warne, who was trying desperately to pull his charges back into the match after they were restricted to just 146 having won the toss and electing to bat.The Renegades privately criticised Warne's behaviour as deliberately provocative and theatrical.

In what many will regard as another distasteful aspect of the stand-off, Warne was again wearing a microphone for the benefit of TV viewers and with the game going on used it to defend his actions to commentators.

"What are you meant to do when someone throws a bat at you?" he asked.

The night went from bad to worse for Samuels as he tried to hook a short ball from Malinga and top-edged it into his face. He was forced to retire hurt with blood streaming from an eye wound with only Malinga among the Stars players making obvious attempts to check on his welfare.

Warne later told the Herald Sun: Warne later tried to downplay the drama, saying he didn't expect to be disciplined by Cricket Australia. "I tried to throw the ball to Bobby Quiney and the next minute I decided to get out of the way of that bat," he said. "I'm more disappointed that we lost, that was just a heat of the moment thing. That's just the way it goes, I hope he's OK.

Samuels, acclaimed for his matchwinning display in the final of World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in Australia, has been a marked man in Australia. Darren Lehmann, the Brisbane coach, was fined for questioning the legality of his quicker ball, a theme later picked up by the Adelaide coach Darren Berry.

For Renegades, it was another impressive all-round team performance with a number of contributors with the ball leading to an easy win.

Aaron O'Brien continued his great form, conceding just 22 runs off his four overs and taking the valuable wicket of Brad Hodge. He was backed up by Darren Pattinson (2 for 12), Will Sheridan (3 for 36) and the ever-reliable Muralitharan (1 for 27) as the Stars limped to a score well below par given the pace and consistency of the pitch.

The Stars had four batsmen reach 20 but not one of them was able to convert it into a bigger score. All-rounder James Faulkner hit two massive sixes to start the final over before the Renegades took a team hat-trick to stem the flow of runs.

Finch and Alex Doolan (30 off 28) were brutal early against the Stars fast bowlers and quickly took the game away from the hosts with a 70-run partnership in just 49 balls.

The Stars will look to re-group quickly ahead of their do-or-die clash with the Sydney Thunder in Melbourne on Tuesday. The task won't be made any easier by the loss of Malinga, McKay, Hussey and Maxwell to international duty. With the Heat, Hurricanes, Strikers and Scorchers all battling for the final three spots in the semi-finals, nothing less than a win will do for the Stars.

Despite securing top place, the Renegades have problems of their own, with Finch joining the Australian team for the series against Sri Lanka and Doolan (ankle) and Samuels (face) both under injury clouds ahead of their game against the Sydney Sixers in Sydney on Wednesday.

Read More..

Shadab Nazar routs his home state

"We don't want star players. We want performers," Wing commander Deepak Bhaskar, the Services manager, had said before the start of their quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh, when asked about the big-name players in the opposition. Performance was what he got from his players on day one. Leading them was fast bowler Shadab Nazar, a corporal in the Air Force, who routed UP for 134 on the way to his third five-for in his debut first-class season.

Nazar, 25, ironically hails from UP and played age-group cricket for the state. He was part of the same sports hostel set-up in Lucknow where Suresh Raina and RP Singh come from, before he was recruited by Bhaskar into the Air Force. Today, he showed no mercy to his former state-mates as he bustled in with a run-up full of energy and found generous bounce from the Holkar Stadium pitch to claim 5 for 51.

Nazar's been with Services for six years now, but broke into their first-class side only this season, though he played a couple of one-dayers in early 2010. He's already become a potent part of the side's fast-bowling attack, along with Suraj Yadav and Nishan Singh, and has played all their nine games so far in the season to pick up 30 wickets at an average of 23.56.

"It doesn't matter how big the batsman's reputation is. In the end, it is all about putting the ball in the right areas," Nazar said. He added more zip to the Services attack as soon as he was introduced first change and dismissed three of the top six UP batsmen. "My approach was to just keep it on a tight length," he said.

Nazar felt the pitch had eased out slightly after the morning session in which UP lost seven wickets but it was still not easy for the batsmen. Bhaskar said the deliveries that zipped through had decreased in number but were still enough of a threat.

The UP attack has delivered four outright wins in the season and it was quite an achievement for Services to earn a lead of 20 runs by stumps with five wickets in hand. Even more so, considering they had to redo their batting order following the unavailability of the captain Soumik Chatterjee, who hurt his knee while fielding in the deep. Chatterjee was taken for an MRI scan, the results of which were awaited. The seriousness of his injury was evident when, unable to walk, he was carried from the dressing room to the team bus by his team-mates.

What part, if any, Chatterjee will be able to play in the remainder of the match was unclear but for a determined Services side, it is just one of the several odds they have to tackle.

Read More..

Raza leads Eagles to victory

A half-century from Sikandar Raza led Mashonaland Eagles to a 42-run win against Mid West Rhinos in Harare. Eagles made a swift start after they were sent in, with their openers adding 59 before Chamu Chibhabha was dismissed in 6.4 overs. Raza, however, went on to hold one end up, keeling the innings steady by making 62 off 56 balls. He was dismissed only in the 18th over and Eagles ended on 149 for 6. Michael Chinouya and Neville Madziva took two wickets each for Rhinos.

Rhinos' chase never got going as wickets fell in two clumps. They went from 33 for 1 to 65 for 6, and then from 101 for 6 to 103 for 9 at the end of their innings. Peter Moor top scored with 30. Eagles used eight bowlers and Ray Price took 1 for 8 in his four overs.

Rain allowed only eight overs in the game between Southern Rocks and Matabeleland Tuskers in Bulawayo. Rocks made 50 for 1 before the match had to be abandoned.

Read More..

Warne banned for one BBL match

Shane Warne might have played his last game of this Big Bash League campaign after being suspended for one match following his ugly clash with Marlon Samuels on Sunday night. Warne, the Melbourne Stars captain, was also fined $4500 following the fracas in the derby against the Melbourne Renegades at the MCG, while Samuels is yet to face his hearing after also being charged over the incidents.

Warne was charged with four breaches of Cricket Australia's Code of Behaviour and found guilty of three; Samuels was charged with two offences. Warne's suspension means he will miss the Stars' last qualifying match at home to the Sydney Thunder on Tuesday and his chances of taking any further part in the tournament will hinge on whether his side, which is one of four sides locked together on four wins in the middle of the points table, reaches the finals.

Warne confronted Samuels physically and verbally during the Melbourne Renegades innings at the MCG, seemingly in retaliation for an incident that had occurred earlier during the Melbourne Stars innings. During that incident, the bowler Samuels grabbed David Hussey by the shirt and prevented him taking off for a second run, a strange act given that Hussey's path had not taken him into contact with Samuels.

Later while Samuels was batting, he took off for a run and turned back, after which Warne came down the pitch and said to Samuels: "You want to grab some more people? F*** you Marlon." Warne, who was wearing a Fox Sports microphone at the time, then grabbed Samuels' shirt, apparently to demonstrate what he felt Samuels had done wrong earlier, and pointed at him threateningly.

The clash continued in the next over when Warne collected the ball running in from the off side and under-armed it into the body of Samuels, who was in his crease not attempting a run. Samuels responded by tossing his bat down the pitch, vaguely in the direction of Warne.

On Monday morning, Cricket Australia confirmed a long list of charges from the incidents. Warne was found guilty of three: showing serious dissent at an umpire's decision; engaging in inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with another player; and using obscene, offensive or generally insulting language to another player. He was found not guilty of throwing the ball at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner.

After the hearing, Warne indicated that he would consider appealing the suspension, although his gut instinct was to accept it and hope the Stars reached the finals. In a series of tweets, Warne also expressed disappointment at his own actions.

"I have always been passionate when I play cricket and had the game at heart along with its image..." he tweeted. "I'm disappointed at some of my actions last night as captain & as a player,but I'm also very disappointed at the severe penalty I received !

"I am weighing up all my options at the moment & taking some advice.. Update you all soon, thanks for your support, means a lot.... My instinct says take the 1 match ban & hope the boys win tomorrow night & be available for the semi final, but as I said will keep u posted."

Samuels has been charged with engaging in inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with another player; and unbecoming behaviour, namely that "players and officials must not at any time engage in behaviour unbecoming to a representative player or official that could (a) bring them or the game of cricket into disrepute or (b) be harmful to the interests of cricket".

However, Samuels ended the match with a potentially serious injury to his eye socket after he top-edged a Lasith Malinga delivery through the grille of his helmet, and any suspension may not affect his availability anyway. The Renegades coach Simon Helmot said Samuels was recovering at the team hotel and would be taking some time off to care for his injury, and a time for his hearing is yet to be confirmed by Cricket Australia.

"We're now waiting for the swelling around his eye to subside before determining the full extent of the blow," Helmot said. "We are also assessing what, if anything, this means in terms of squad composition for the remainder of the tournament and will take action to source an international replacement if necessary."

Read More..

Gazi's ten help South to tight win

South Zone 248(Anamul 74, Yasin 4-50) and 248(Anamul 73, Nabil 6-81) beat East Zone 236 (Nafees 83, Gazi 6-66) and 227(Nafees 63, Gazi 5-73) by 37 runs
Scorecard

Sohag Gazi's maiden first-class ten-wicket haul ended up being the difference in South Zone's tight win against East Zone in Mirpur. Needing 137 runs to win on the final day with eight wickets in hand, East Zone were in a comfortable position. But their day started disastrously as from 154 for 2, they slipped to 171 for 8 in a matter of six overs, with Gazi picking up four of the six wickets to complete his second five-for of the match. There was a brief resistance before East Zone collapsed to hand over the win to the South.

East Zone, after putting South into bat, had struck regularly to reduce them to 196 for 9 with only Anamul Haque getting past 50. But a last-wicket stand 52 runs helped South pull ahead. In response, East made a solid start with Nafees Iqbal and Mominul Haque scoring half-centuries, but a lower-order collapse triggered by Gazi and Abdur Razzak meant that East ended 12 runs behind South.

South responded with a century stand for the second wicket between Soumya Sarkar and Anamul and although Nabil Samad picked up six wickets, South again managed 248 in the second innings, setting up a tough fourth-innings chase.

North Zone 361 (Junaid 78, Mushfiqur 76*, Farhad Hossain 74, Sunny 3-80) and 397 for 6 (Nasir 131, Farhad Reza 77, Maisuqur 73) drew with Central Zone 436 for 9 dec. (Ashraful 133, Mehrab 131)
Scorecard

A rapid century by Nasir Hossain lit up the last day of the match between North Zone and Central Zone before it ended in a draw. North had already wiped off the 75-run deficit and with a result unlikely, Nasir played attacking cricket to bring up his century of 89 balls with six fours and three sixes. Farhad Reza and Maisuqur Rahman also scored half-centuries in an innings where all eleven of Central's players were used for bowling.

Nasir's ton overcame his failure in the first innings in which only North's top-order had contributed to help the team to 361 with Mushfiqur Rahim unbeaten on 76. In response, Central had stumbled to 88 for 4 at one stage, but a 228-run stand between Mohammad Ashraful, who scored 133, and Mehrab Hossain jnr, who scored 131, set the platform for the team to take a first innings lead and take three points from the match.

Read More..

Buchanan 'frosty' with New Zealand CEO

Perhaps unsurprisingly after the side has been rolled for 45 in a Test match, tensions remain apparent at the top of the New Zealand management structure with John Buchanan, the director of cricket, admitting to a difficult relationship with chief executive David White which stemmed from the controversial demotion from the captaincy of Ross Taylor.

Buchanan, who joined New Zealand Cricket in April 2011, had not spoken to the media since Taylor was dumped as captain following the Sri Lanka tour and is not in South Africa. He has been monitoring events from Australia before heading back across the Tasman to resume his duties watching domestic cricket and scouting for talent.

A host of former New Zealand players, led by the vocal Martin Crowe, have been severely critical of the change of captaincy and the way Taylor, who opted out of the South Africa tour, has been treated. Neither has Buchanan agreed with everything but is hopeful of improving the situation with White.

"It can be frosty at times, but he's got a job to do, as I have," Buchanan told the Star Times. "We certainly don't always meet eye-to-eye, there's no doubt about that. But I am very confident he gives me every possible support he can and takes my views and represents them quite candidly to the board."

He also said his relationship with the coach Mike Hesson had "received a bit of a road bump" due to events in Sri Lanka but he has spoken to Hesson since the defeat in Newlands to offer his support

"I've always let it be know to Mike that I'm available," he said. "I'm not one that really wants to spend every moment ringing or intruding into the coach's domain. Having been a coach myself, I know there are good times, and there are times when you need to talk to people."

Buchanan retains the belief that there are players available to turn New Zealand's fortunes around and that he does not have any second thoughts about his job.

"It's a a fantastic role," he said. "That's why I took on the job and I still say that. I still maintain the opportunities in New Zealand Cricket are immense, in terms of what could be achieved in a short period of time - provided we all get on the same page."

Read More..