Inzamam not a part of Pakistan's tour of South Africa

The PCB has decided not to continue with Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan batsman, as the team's batting consultant for the tour of South Africa for which the team departed on Sunday morning. Inzamam was supposed to travel for the tour but ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB did not approach him.

Inzamam was appointed for the role just before the team's short limited-overs tour of India. He helped the team prepare for the tour but did not travel to India with them due to his commitments with a TV channel. However, he was committed to go to South Africa. Even though there was no written agreement between the PCB and Inzamam over covering the South Africa series, both had an understanding to carry out the deal.

"We have engaged the services of Inzamam ahead of the India tour," PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf had said last month on appointing Inzamam. "He won't travel to India with the team but will help the batsmen in the camp as batting consultant. He will be part of the touring unit that goes next year to South Africa."

The PCB had planned to recruit a specialist coaches with separate people taking charge of batting, bowling and fielding, but gave head coach Dav Whatmore the additional responsibility of a batting coach. The idea was then shelved and the PCB opted to go series-by-series instead of appointing a full-time batting coach.

Pakistan will play three Tests, two Twenty20s and five ODIs in South Africa during their two-month tour, starting with a tour match between Pakistan XI and South African Invitation XI at Buffalo Park, East London from January 25 to 28.

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Leicestershire seek clarity from Sarwan

Leicestershire have had their plans for the new season shaken up by Ramnaresh Sarwan's recall to the West Indies squad and they will seek to clarify his availability.

Sarwan had seemingly turned his back on West Indies, claiming he had been "mentally and emotionally" hurt by the coaching staff, when he signed a two-year extension to his stay at Grace Road which began last summer. He was then appointed captain of the County Championship side for 2013 in place of Matthew Hoggard.

But he was recalled to the West Indies squad for the one-day series against Australia which begins on February 1, suggesting Sarwan could be part of West Indies' future series against Zimbabwe in March and India and Sri Lanka following the Champions Trophy.

"We will be making contact with Ramnaresh to see where this might lead to," Leicestershire head coach Phil Whitticase said. "At this moment, the question of how it might affect us during the season is a bit unanswerable.

"We are really pleased for him because we know that he has been striving to play for the West Indies again. He still has that passion and drive and we want all our players to play at the highest level. From our point of view, it does leave us a bit vulnerable and looking to come up with a Plan B."

Sarwan had an excellent summer for Leicestershire, helping them avoided consecutive wooden spoons in the Championship with 941 runs at 40.91. He also struck two centuries in the CB40.

But he will now add to his 173 ODIs in which he has scored 5,644 runs at 43.41. Although he has endured a poor run of recent form in the Caribbean T20 with a highest score of 19 in seven matches for Guyana.

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Abbottabad wrap up victory in two days

Abbottabad 135 (Hameed 49, Maqsood 7-40) and 114 for 2 (Hammad 56, Orakzai 38*) beat Faisalabad 92 (Irshad 22, Yasir 6-20) and 152 (Ammar 59, Yasir 6-49) by eight wickets
Scorecard

Abbottabad picked up their first win of the competition, beating Faisalabad in a low-scoring game that finished in two days. Abbottabad justified their decision to field first by bowling out the opposition for 92 in the first innings, with legspinner Yasir Shah taking six wickets. But Abbottabad themselves didn't have much of an edge at the end of their innings, as they were skittled out for 135. Yasir Hameed made 49 and Yasir chipped in with 26, but there wasn't much they could do against Waqas Maqsood, who took 7 for 40.

A second batting failure, however, proved too costly for Faisalabad. Yasir was among the wickets again, taking his match tally to 12, to keep Faisalabad to just 152. Ammar Mahmood made 49 but there wasn't much support from the rest. Set just 110 to win, Abbottabad achieved their target for the loss of just two wickets. Hammad Ali Shah made 56.

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Marsh recalled to Twenty20 squad

Shaun Marsh has been recalled to the Australian Twenty20 team following his storming Big Bash League, while Adam Voges, Ben Laughlin and James Faulkner are among others rewarded for their domestic efforts with a place in the squad to face Sri Lanka over two matches in Sydney and Melbourne.

There was no room for Shane Watson, who may now return from his calf strain via the Sheffield Shield with New South Wales, while Luke Pomersbach was also overlooked despite a BBL contribution every bit as compelling as that of Marsh.

The bowling attack will be led by Mitchell Starc and Ben Cutting, with Laughlin's variations finding a way back into favour after his strong showings for the Hobart Hurricanes. David Hussey, meanwhile, has lost his place in the T20 team following only brief appearances for the side in last year's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

John Inverarity, the national selector, said both Pomersbach and the New South Wales batsman Ben Rohrer had been very close to winning places in the team.

"Ben Rohrer played brilliantly with the Melbourne Renegades and was in strong contention for inclusion, as was Luke Pomersbach," he said. "The NSP is pleased to see Luke playing so well and hope his good form continues.

"Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Ben Cutting, James Faulkner and Ben Laughlin has shown outstanding form in the T20 format over the past two months. Their performances have been compelling and we anticipate they will take this momentum into the two fixtures scheduled for 26 and 28 January. All except Ben Cutting have represented Australia in T20s previously.

"Aaron Finch was the player of the tournament in the Big Bash League, while Shaun Marsh finished as the highest run-scorer with 412 runs. Ben Laughlin bowled cleverly to take the most number of wickets, 14, while Ben Cutting was second highest wicket-taker with 13 at a very good economy rate."

Australia Twenty20 squad: George Bailey (capt), Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Ben Laughlin, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges, Matthew Wade, David Warner

More to come...

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Race tight for Cobras and Warriors

The Warriors and Cape Cobras remain in a tight race for the South African first-class title with just 0.18 of a point separating them at the top of the table.

Warriors franchise kept themselves within touching distance of the table-topping Cobras with a 10-wicket win over the Knights in Bloemfontein while the Cobras were defeated for a second successive week. A thriller in Cape Town saw them lose by 15 runs to the Dolphins. The other team in contention for the title, the Lions, will take their contest against the Titans into a fourth day with bad weather in Johannesburg threatening to wash out the fixture.

Interestingly, both today's results saw a bowler from South Africa's most recent emerging squad take eight wickets in an innings. Kyle Abbott did it for the Dolphins to take his match haul to 12 while Andrew Birch was the Warriors destroyer. There was only one century scored across the matches, Rillee Rossouw's 100 in the Knights losing cause.

Rossouw's innings was much needed, after the Knights slumped to 21 for 3, having opted to bat first against the Warriors. Gurshwin Rabie took two of three early wickets to fall, including that of Test batsman Dean Elgar, who made 4. Rabie returned to remove Ryan Bailey and Obus Pienaar even as the Knights recovery had barely got underway.

Lower-order partnerships of 58 for the eighth wickets and 64 for the ninth, largely thanks to Dillon du Preez's aggressive 88 saw the Knights bowled out for a fairly competitive 268. A dream start saw the Knights reduce the Warriors to 36 for 2 but contributions from Arno Jacobs (40), Ashwell Prince (37) and Vuyisa Makhapela (35) followed by the only half-century of the Warriors innings, 50 from Simon Harmer helped them take a slender 13-run lead.

Birch made it count for much more as he sliced through the Knights in the second innings. He singlehandedly reduced them to 22 for 4 before Harmer took the fifth wicket. Elgar's 34 was the top-score and one off just three that went into double figures. The Knights were skittled for 106 and the Warriors required 94 runs to win.

They polished off the target inside 14 overs to show the surface was no demon. Michael Price was unbeaten on 48 while Davy Jacobs finished 44 not out in one-day fashion, off 35 balls. The victory puts the Warriors on 92 points and in firm contention to win their maiden first-class trophy since the franchise system started in 2004-05.

The Cobras have been frequent recipients of the title and would have thought they could open a gap against the chasing pack when they bowled the Dolphins out for 174. Divan van Wyk's 92 was the only score of substance as the Dolphins registered seven single figure scores. Beuran Hendricks' five-for was the main protagonist in the Dolphins demise but they responded well to their below-par performance.

Andrew Puttick was caught behind with the score on 21 but Alistair Gray and Stiaan van Zyl's 51-run second wicket stand seemed to steady the Cobras. When van Zyl was dismissed with the score on 112, the Dolphins bowlers sensed an opening. They hunted as a pack and took seven wickets for 94 runs to ensure the Cobras lead was only 32 runs.

The Dolphins began woefully in the second innings. At 57 for 5 it seemed they had learnt nothing from their first knock but Jonathan Vandiar's 78 combined with three scores in the twenties from the lower order gave them a fighting chance. The Cobras were set 183 to win, a chase they would have fancied.

Abbott had other ideas, though. He and his new-ball partner, Mthokozisi Shezi, got rid of the Cobras openers but then van Zyl and Justin Ontong put on 55 for the third wicket. At 71 for 2, the Cobras were well set. But Abbott took three quick wickets, including two in the same over, to put the Dolphins back in the frame with the Cobras on 82 for 5.

Justin Kemp scored 29, Johann Louw 16 and Dane Piedt 20 to push the Cobras ever closer but all of them failed to take their side over the line. When the ninth wicket fell, the Cobras needed 17 runs to win but Abbott plucked the last man four balls later to cap off a thrilling win for the Dolphins.

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Dhaka seal second straight win

Dhaka Gladiators 202 for 5 (Ashraful 73, Nasir 1-25) beat Rangpur Riders 167 for 4 (Nasir 80, Shakib 2-17) by 35 runs Scorecard

Dhaka Gladiators made it two wins out of two after another comfortable win, this time beating newcomers Rangpur Riders by 35 runs. Mohammad Ashraful played like the old, carefree approach he's been known for with a 47-ball 73. He struck the ball sweetly to set up the win, as Riders couldn't do enough to reach the target that had a required rate of more than 10 an over.

Nasir Hossain and Niall O'Brien steadied the Riders' innings after they lost three early wickets by the sixth over, which included the wicket of Kevin O'Brien. They added 118 runs for the fourth wicket, the first century partnership of the tournament. A confident Nasir struck half a dozen sixes and five boundaries in his 49-ball 80 which kept the small crowd entertained. He had support from Niall who didn't contribute a boundary during the partnership, but fed him the strike regularly. He ended up with an unbeaten 40 off 35 balls with a solitary boundary.

Earlier, Ashraful began his innings by playing second fiddle to Luke Wright, Dhaka's latest arrival from the Big Bash League. Wright looked set for a big innings but mistimed left-arm spinner Amit Kumar in the fifth over. The former Bangladesh captain then dominated the second-wicket stand, worth 57 runs, with Anamul Haque as he reached a half-century off 30 balls.

Shakib Al Hasan came and went after hitting a six and a four, after which Ashraful and Owais Shah added 36 runs for the fourth wicket. Ashraful, with eight fours and three sixes, dictated the Riders bowling attack that lacked the pace to unnerve him, but it was the final push from Shah and Joshua Cobb that got Gladiators to their second score of over 200 runs. The pair added 54 off just 25 balls, with excellent running and good hitting from Cobb who struck two fours and two sixes in his 17-ball 34.

Riders bowled poorly, despite their local experience in the form of Tapash Baisya, Mohammad Sharif and captain Abdur Razzak, though it was Nasir Hossain's tidy off-breaks that gave away least runs in the innings.

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SuperSport to investigate cause for blackout

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has apologised for the worldwide break in transmission during the ODI between South Africa and New Zealand in Paarl but does not have an explanation for the blackout. Instead, host broadcaster SuperSport International will investigate the reasons and report back to CSA as soon as possible.

"The loss of transmission was due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of CSA," the organisation said in a statement. "The matter is currently being addressed by our host broadcaster to avoid a repetition of what transpired. SuperSport International will investigate the matter and furnish CSA with a detailed report."

Television coverage was first interrupted after 7.1 overs and repeated breaks accompanied by a power cut punctuated the first 25 overs of New Zealand's innings. A source at the ground told ESPNCricinfo that the initial problem was caused by the broadcaster's generator malfunctioning.

The subsequent electricity outage occurred because when the broadcaster allegedly attempted to use stadium power whose capacity was quickly exhausted, according to the source. The entire media centre operated in the dark for a period of time. SuperSport told ESPNcrinfo that while they are waiting for a detailed report from people in the outside broadcast facilities they understand the power cut at the stadium came first and then a technical problem in the van. They also apologised for the interruption.

It was during the power cut that Brendon McCullum was given out lbw off Rory Kleinveldt's bowling. The delivery struck him on the back foot, after angling in. McCullum spoke to the on-field umpire about referring the decision as New Zealand still had their review in hand.

McCullum was then informed DRS could not be called upon because there was no electricity. CSA said all relevant parties were informed that the technology could not be used until the problem had been rectified. "During the break in transmission no DRS was available to be utilised by the match officials and the umpires did inform the players on field as such," their statement read.

Repeated cuts followed before the situation stabilised in the second half of New Zealand's innings. Paarl is not the only ground to have been affected by power cuts this summer. The Twenty20 against New Zealand on December 23 in East London was interrupted when one of the floodlight pylons stopped working.

Both venues are regarded as "smaller grounds," a definition imposed on them because they are unlikely to host Test matches (although Buffalo Park has done so in the past against Bangladesh) and they are on a rotation system to host other internationals. With CSA's aim to spread the game throughout the country, both have hosted matches for a second successive summer but problems like these may put that status at risk.

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Mashonaland Eagles win rain-hit final

Mashonaland Eagles 222 (Utseya 53, Meth 3-54) beat Matabeleland Tuskers 203 for 8 (Ewing 94, Utseya 3-41) by five runs (D/L method)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

An all-round performance by offspinner Prosper Utseya helped Mashonaland Eagles beat Matabeleland Tuskers by five runs to win the Pro50 Championship final in Bulawayo, in a match that was repeatedly interrupted by rain. The result was decided via the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Tuskers, who won the toss and elected to bowl, kept Eagles' innings in check with regular breakthroughs. While most of the middle order got starts, Utseya, coming in to bat at No. 7, was the only batsman to reach 50. He was given out obstructing the field as Eagles were kept to 222 in 49.1 overs.

Tuskers looked to be in control of the chase, in spite of several rain interruptions, as the opening pair of Gavin Ewing and Brian Chari added 138 runs. They began sedately but solidly, and launched later when the rain seemed like it would be an issue. However, wickets then began to tumble and apart from a late charge from Charles Coventry, none of the other Tuskers batsmen could make substantial contributions. Tuskers needed 23 runs from 18 balls, before rain interrupted their chase yet again and the D/L method came into play.

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Selection panel not only for former players

Following a week of mudslinging over Zimbabwe's Sports and Recreation Commission's (SRC) new directive governing selection committees, the mandate is set to be amended to include a minority of non ex-players. Initially, the policy said only former internationals could sit on the selection panel of all sports organisations, a suggestion which was greeted with great furore by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) in particular.

The revised order will mean most recent convenor of selectors Givemore Makoni could continue as a selector although he will not be able to chair it. It will also allow ZC to appoint a coach who is not a former national player and the new coach can also sit on the selection panel.

"The SRC stated that we would consider suggestions from any national sports associations to refine and improve the directive," David Coltart, Zimbabwe's minister of education, sport, arts and culture, told ESPNcricinfo. "The principle issue remains binding and the majority of selectors and the chair have to be ex-national players."

Changes to the directive are expected to be announced in the next week and it is due to come into effect on February 1. ZC is the body most likely to appreciate the loosening of the provisio because of the impact it will have on the appointment of a new national coach. Historically, Zimbabwe's national cricket coach has not been a selector and only advised the panel but in October last year ZC changed that. The coach now acts as a selector as well which meant that if the directive remained as it was originally written, ZC would have had to appoint a former player as the coach because he would also have had to operate as a selector.

That would have had the most obvious effect on current assistant coach Stephen Mangongo, who is one of three applicants in line to replace current coach, Alan Butcher. Zimbabwe's tour to West Indies, which starts next month and ends on March 24, will be Butcher's last in charge because he has opted not to renew his contract. Mangongo, current batting coach Grant Flower and bowling coach Heath Streak have all put their names in the hat to be appointed to the main job.

Mangongo is the only one who has not played for Zimbabwe and the only black African of the three. His exclusion as coach because of the requirement that he would also have had to be a selector was labelled "racist," by Makoni.

Coltart denied any agenda to exclude black Zimbabweans from positions of power in sport. He also appears mindful of the consequences the initial directive could have on those who were denied opportunity to play international sport because of racial prejudices in the past.

Makoni, who was set to lose his post on the selection panel, will now also be eligible for it provided he is part of a minority of non ex-players. Zimbabwe's last three-person selection committee comprised of Makoni, former Test player Wayne James and the late Kevin Curran. Since Curran's death, James and Butcher have been selectors although Makoni continued to have a casting vote.

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Stirling fifty sets up Sylhet win

Sylhet Royals 175 for 7 (Stirling 50, Mominul 45) beat Barisal Burners 142 for 9 (Kabir 50, Shuvo 3-23) by 33 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Paul Stirling and Mominul Haque helped Sylhet Royals to a competitive score of 175 for 7 before their bowlers put in a spirited effort to secure a 33-run win against Barisal Burners in their first game. It was an impressive start for the franchise that won just two games in the first edition of BPL.

Put in to bat first, Sylhet began at a good pace but lost Hamilton Masakadza in the fourth over when left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam had him trapped lbw for 19. Thereafter, Stirling and Mominul added 51 quickly, using the pace of the ball on most occasions to find boundaries. Stirling cracked eight fours and a six in his 29-ball half-century, backing away whenever he sought a boundary, while Mominul showcased strength in hitting three fours and a six and supported the big-hitters at the other end well.

But after the team had reached the hundred-run mark in the tenth over, the Sylhet batsmen lost their way. Kabir Ali and Alok Kapali took two wickets each, as Barisal restricted them to 175 but that total was still going to be a challenge for a team that has lost players like Kamran Akmal and Umar Gul in the mass Pakistani pull-out.

Mohammad Nabi, the Afghanistan allrounder who was acquired by Sylhet after they lost two West Indies players (Andre Russell and Tino Best), took two early wickets with his flighty offspin before the rest of the slow bowlers took over. Sohag Gazi didn't pick up a wicket but created enough pressure for the likes of Elton Chigumbura, Suhrawadi Shuvo and Bishawnath Halder to pick up cheap wickets. Ali was the only man to make some runs, hammering 50 off 21 balls with four huge sixes, before being stumped the off Shuvo. None of the other Barisal batsmen stayed at the crease long enough to have a serious go at the target.

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