The six Pakistan players who have appealed against the punishments handed out by the PCB will appear before a one-man tribunal on Friday

Cricinfo staff27-Apr-2010The six Pakistan players who have appealed against the punishments handed out by the PCB will appear before a one-man tribunal on Friday. The tribunal will be chaired by Irfan Qadir, a former retired high court judge who was appointed to the task by the PCB last week.”I have issued notices to the players to appear on Friday for a preliminary proceeding on their appeals and they will be given all basic rights under the law,” Qadir told . “If some of the players demand specific reasons for their punishment, we will provide them with that as well, as this is their right.”The PCB took action against seven players it believed were responsible for Pakistan’s failure to win a single game in Australia. The captain Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan were banned indefinitely, Shoaib Malik and Naved-ul-Hasan were banned for a year while Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers were fined and placed on probation for six months.Yousuf and Younis were accused of infighting and having a negative influence on the team. Yousuf announced his retirement from international cricket after the ban and is the only one among the punished players who didn’t appeal.The Akmal brothers and Naved lodged their appeals first, followed by Afridi, Younis and then Malik.

Seamer Lee Daggett recorded his best bowling figures in a one-day match as Northamptonshire thrashed the Netherlands by 119 runs to claim their first win in this season’s Clydesdale Bank 40

31-May-2010
ScorecardDavid Sales made 62 at the top of the order for Northamptonshire•PA Photos

Seamer Lee Daggett recorded his best bowling figures in a one-day match as Northamptonshire thrashed the Netherlands by 119 runs to claim their first win in this season’s Clydesdale Bank 40. The home side made 238 for 7 from their 40 overs, with David Sales and Rob White making half-centuries after the hosts recovered from 9 for 2 after four overs.Daggett then took 4 for 17 in eight overs as the Netherlands failed to reproduce yesterday’s heroics at Derbyshire as they collapsed to 119 all out, with only ex-Sussex man Bas Zuiderent (32) providing any resistance.Northamptonshire won the toss and chose to bat but they got off to an awful start by losing two wickets in the fourth over. Mark Jonkman was the bowler and he forced Mal Loye to edge to wicketkeeper Atse Buurman before Vishal Tripathi launched him straight to Mudassar Bukhari at third man to go for a fourth-ball duck.Nicky Boje walked on 38 when he edged Michael Dighton to Buurman after adding 99 along with Sales. Sales blasted 62 from 58 balls but went when he smashed Dighton to Bukhari at mid on.White then hammered four sixes off Netherlands captain Peter Borren in the 30th over to reach 50 off 40 balls but he was bowled by Pieter Seelaar soon after. Northamptonshire captain Andrew Hall gifted Bradley Kruger his first List-A wicket by launching him to Seelaar at deep square-leg before Jonkman bowled James Middlebrook in the final overThe visitors chase got off to a bad start when Tom de Grooth flailed at a Daggett delivery in the sixth over and was caught at first slip by Hall. Daggett struck again in his next over when Eric Szwarczynski edged to wicketkeeper Murphy before Tom Cooper, who faced three balls without scoring, played on to his stumps.Dighton, who struck an unbeaten 110 at Derby on Sunday, also went for a duck when he edged Jack Brooks to Murphy. Borren made 8 before slicing Daggett to Sales at second slip and David Wigley took out Kruger’s leg stump with his first delivery of the season to leave the Netherlands on 32 for 6.Boje trapped Buurman lbw before Zuiderent went by hitting Middlebrook to Daggett at deep mid-wicket. Boje wrapped up the Northamptonshire victory by having Bukhari caught at cover by Tripathi and Jonkman stumped by Murphy, after both had made 14.

Cricinfo previews the second Test between West Indies and South Africa at Warner Park

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran17-Jun-2010

Match facts

June 18-22, 2010
Start time 10.00am (14.00GMT)

Big Picture

Will Darren Bravo make his Test debut and make a difference to an under-performing middle order?•AFP

Seven games into the tour and West Indies still don’t know how to beat South Africa, irrespective of the format. This West Indies team is a pale shadow of the one that fought bravely in Australia just a few months ago. Injuries to key players like Ramnaresh Sarwan and Fidel Edwards may have pegged their fortunes back a bit, but unfortunately, the other senior players look a deflated bunch. The intimidation from Chris Gayle is missing, so is the stodgy resistance from Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Their capitulation for 102 in the first Test at Trinidad was a sorry sight, after their bowlers did a decent job to restrict South Africa to 352. Nelon Pascal is not a batsman, but his dismissal in both innings – attempting a one-legged Caribbean style hoick – was a comical, yet depressing sight if you were a West Indies supporter. Besides him, the specialists at the top were out bowled shouldering arms, Narsingh Deonarine’s first-innings dismissal a case in point. Such shots don’t give confidence that the team is out there to fight it out.Despite that abject display, an unchanged team was named for the second Test. With the A team away in England, there wouldn’t have been a large pool of players to pick from. The best they can do is to slot batsmen in positions they’re more familiar with. Given their poor form, a draw at St Kitts will be as good as a victory. For inspiration, they need to run tapes of the Adelaide Test late last year when Chris Gayle carried his bat in the second innings to put his team in front.South Africa on the hand have fewer worries and credit should go to the way Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel have forged such a deadly combination with the new ball. The slow pitches in the Caribbean haven’t made them any less lethal. They showed what the home side lacked – bowlers with raw pace. The visitors, apart from catching up with the World Cup action at home, also celebrated their national youth day by coaching youngsters at a clinic at Warner Park.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

West Indies LLDLL
South Africa WLWWD

Watch out for…

Chris Gayle: The West Indies captain was talked about at length during the one-dayers on how his performances have a direct influence on the way the team plays. If he fires, the side’s uplifted, but if he doesn’t, the rest throw in the towel. Ideally, at least one among the others in the middle order will have to put his hand up and cover the slack. If Gayle has to show more responsibility, he can adopt a change in approach and shed his attacking instincts a bit. If he minimises the risks, he can bat longer and drop anchor, allowing the rest to bat around him. The Adelaide Test is an example of the recent past. Gayle has done it before and now it’s his chance to lead by example.Paul Harris: His role in Trinidad was made redundant with Steyn and Morkel hogging most of the wickets. He was preferred to Johan Botha for the Test, despite not being in sparkling form in the last few Tests. If the pitch takes turn, Harris could play an important role. Coach Corrie van Zyl identified some technical problems in Harris’ action and said he would work on it to help him get more turn.

Team news

Kemar Roach, probably the fastest bowler in the region, was retained after missing the first game and the assumption is he has recovered from an ankle injury. If he’s fit, he should walk in, replacing either Pascal or Ravi Rampaul. The under-performing middle order will worry West Indies, so there’s a chance for Darren Bravo to come in place of probably Deonarine. Brendan Nash could be pushed down the order to No.5, where he’s more comfortable.West Indies (likely) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Travis Dowlin, 3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Darren Bravo/Narsingh Deonarine, 5 Brendan Nash, 6 Dwayne Bravo (vice-capt), 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Sulieman Benn, 9 Shane Shillingford, 10 and 11 two among Ravi Rampaul/Kemar Roach/Nelon PascalSouth Africa are likely to play the same team. van Zyl said Harris will not be replaced by any other spinner.South Africa (likely) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Hashim Amla, 6 Ashwell Prince, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Paul Harris, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Pitch and conditions

The short boundaries at Warner Park could lead to a high-scoring Test, if the pitch is conducive enough. Rain intervened in Trinidad and showers are forecast for St Kitts too.

Stats and Trivia

• This venue has hosted only one Test so far, between West Indies and India in 2006. Centuries by Daren Ganga and Sarwan took West Indies to 581 and the bowlers put India under pressure, restricting India to below the follow-on target. West Indies opted to bat on and the game drifted towards a draw.
• West Indies last beat South Africa in an international match in 2007, the Port Elizabeth Test. Since then, the losing streak stands at 17, across all formats.
• There are milestones to be achieved – Jacques Kallis needs another 89 for 11,000 Test runs, Graeme Smith another 88 for 7000 runs and Gayle another 73 for 6000 runs.

Quotes

“Before the first Test, we spoke about the fact that we were going to be tested, not having played Test cricket for quite a while. In a three-Test series the next match is just as crucial. We can’t afford to take our foot off the gas at all.”
Graeme Smith“The batsmen can improve and a few of those 50s and 60s should have been centuries. I was impressed, however, with the manner in which we fought back after losing three wickets late on the first afternoon.”
“We have to believe in ourselves and play good, hard cricket.We have to try and make the necessary adjustments for the next Test match.”

Usman Khawaja found some form ahead of his maiden Test tour as Australia A earned a six-run lead over Sri Lanka A on the first day in Townsville

Cricinfo staff25-Jun-2010Australia A 1 for 84 (Khawaja 47*) lead Sri Lanka A 78 (Nawela 27, George 4-13) by 6 runs

ScorecardPeter George caused more problems for Sri Lanka A while taking 4 for 13•Getty Images

Usman Khawaja found some form ahead of his maiden Test tour as Australia A earned a six-run lead over Sri Lanka A on the first day in Townsville. Khawaja, who was picked in the national squad on Tuesday, finished unbeaten on 47 in an impressive display after the visitors were knocked over before tea for 78.Peter George, the South Australia fast man, was again the main problem for Sri Lanka A, who were unable to get going in the second four-day match of the tour. George collected five wickets to help wrap up the first game in Brisbane and backed up with 4 for 13 off 9.3 overs.Sri Lanka were 3 for 28 after George’s opening breakthroughs and Ben Hilfenhaus, who is going to England with Khawaja on Friday, then chipped in with the wicket of the captain Kaushal Silva for 6. Andrew McDonald (3 for 17) and James Pattinson (2 for 17) then stepped in to cause more damage before George returned to finish off the innings.The hosts suffered an early setback when Michael Klinger was undone by Nuwan Pradeep in the third over, but Khawaja and Ed Cowan guided them safely to stumps. Cowan was not out on 34 as they reached the comfort of 1 for 84.

South Africa will host the first ever ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge, with South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Ireland to compete in a series of one-day and Twenty20 games

Cricinfo staff05-Aug-2010South Africa will host the first ever ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge, with South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Ireland – ranked between fifth and tenth in the world – to compete in a series of one-day and Twenty20 games from October 6 to 16 in Potchefstroom.”This tournament is an ideal way for the women’s teams ranked outside of the top four to gain more match experience in both ODI and Twenty20 formats,” said Matthew Kennedy, ICC’s global development manager.”The tournament will also provide a good challenge to all the six competing teams as none of them have yet qualified for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup to be staged in India in 2013.”The European regional qualifiers for the World Cup Qualifier begin next week, while Africa will host the final regional qualifier in December. The World Cup Qualifiers will be staged in Bangladesh in November 2011, with ten teams taking part.Based on their finishing fifth and sixth at the World Cup in Australia in 2008, West Indies and Pakistan have an automatic spot at the qualifiers, and they will be joined by two regional qualifiers each from Africa, Asia and Europe and one each from the Americas and East-Asia Pacific regions.The only teams to have already qualified for the World Cup are England, New Zealand, India and Australia, who are ranked as the top four women’s ODI teams. The teams participating in Potchefstroom will fill the rest of the ODI team rankings table based on their standings at the conclusion of the ODI part of the tournament.

Henry Olonga, the former Zimabwe fast bowler who rebelled against the oppressive Robert Mugabe regime in 2003, has called for renewed cricketing ties with his country

Cricinfo staff16-Aug-2010Henry Olonga, the former Zimabwe fast bowler who famously protested against the Mugabe regime during the 2003 World Cup, has called for renewed cricketing ties with his country ahead of proposed visits by the Scotland and Ireland teams.Olonga moved to London after a black arm-band protest during the World Cup along with team-mate Andy Flower opposing the ‘death of democracy’ in Zimbabwe. While he ruled out the possibility of returning to his homeland, he noted that the ground situation in Zimbabwe was on the mend.”Personal safety is still a consideration for me, although the Zimbabwean government seems to be softening. The winds of change are blowing through the country. Maybe it’s time now to consider bringing Zimbabwe out of isolation from a broader perspective,” Olonga told the .Olonga however maintained his scepticism over the officials running cricket in the country, namely ZC chairman Peter Chingoka and managing director Ozias Bvute. “We still have the issue of slightly suspicious gentlemen running the sport. I don’t really trust the man [Bvute] but he’s shown a genuine desire to re-engage with some of the former players.”They have extended the olive branch to players like Heath Streak and a few others, to try to get some of these players back involved in the running of cricket because their loss has cost the country,” Olonga said.Zimbabwe’s minister of culture David Coltart was set to meet the Scotland cricket officials following speculation that they were concerned about sending their side to Zimbabwe for the Intercontinental Cup fixture in October.”I have to go and speak to Scottish cricket authorities, and one of the main things they want to do is have me speak to the players because they are nervous about going out. They’ve seen pictures. One has to recognise that there is a lot of scepticism in the UK regarding this political arrangement. My main task is to try to overcome that scepticism. I can’t disregard it because in some respects it’s well founded,” Coltart said.

Afghanistan seamer Khaliq Dad has leant his support to Pakistan, saying his side was ready to travel to the terror-hit country when other international teams were reluctant to play there

Cricinfo staff07-Sep-2010Afghanistan seamer Khaliq Dad has lent his support to Pakistan, saying his team was ready to travel to the terror-hit country though other international sides were reluctant to do so.Dad, who led Afghanistan’s youth team to victory in a club-level tournament in Karachi, said, “It is always fantastic to play in Pakistan and I sincerely hope that international cricket returns to this cricket-loving country.”Pakistan has been a no-go zone for international teams since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore last year. Following the attack, the ICC stripped Pakistan of its matches in the 2011 World Cup and forced them to play what would have been their home series in UAE, New Zealand and England.Dad also endorsed the growing interest for the game in Afghanistan, following the national side’s rise through the ranks from the lower divisions of the World Cricket League to playing in the 2010 World Twenty20. “You saw the talent in the team and this is because cricket is now a craze in Afghanistan. From south to west, we have more and more interest in the game and more academies have opened and more companies are coming into the game.”It may sound incredible, but I tell you girls are taking a big interest in cricket and, although the society restrictions mean women’s cricket will take some time, interest is huge,” he said.

Former Rajasthan Ranji cricketer S Pariwal has died aged 62 after a long battle with cancer

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2010Former Rajasthan Ranji cricketer S Pariwal has died aged 62 after a long battle with cancer. Pariwal, a left-arm spinner, played two Ranji Trophy matches in the early 70s in the Central Zone league, and later served as a member of the junior selection committee of the Rajasthan Cricket Association.

The BCCI has appointed Amit Shah as the second physio of the Indian team, to support Nitin Patel

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2010The BCCI has appointed Amit Shah as the second physio of the Indian team, to support Nitin Patel. India have had to contend with a growing list of injured players in recent times, and the inclusion of Shah will ease the burden on the team’s support staff.”Amit Shah has joined Team India as its second physio. He and Nitin Patel will now work together,” a BCCI official informed . Shah was Kolkata Knight Riders’ pyhsio during the third edition of the IPL. He was reportedly sent an SOS by the Indian team following an increasing list of fitness concerns during the ongoing Mohali Test against Australia.India’s biggest injury worry going into the final day of the first Test is VVS Laxman, who has endured back spasms through the match, forcing him to bat below his usual position in the first innings. It remains to be seen whether he bats in the second. Ishant Sharma has also struggled, with a leg niggle that allowed him to bowl just 11.4 overs in the first innings.

England’s coach, Andy Flower has hit back at suggestions that Kevin Pietersen is “an outcast” in the England team

Andrew Miller in Brisbane22-Nov-2010England’s coach, Andy Flower has hit back at suggestions that Kevin Pietersen is “an outcast” in the England team, a choice of words used by Shane Warne in a newspaper interview on Monday, in which he blamed the selectors for sacking Pietersen as captain in January 2009 and in so doing damaging his previously impenetrable ego.”The way they have treated him is ordinary and he has been made to feel as if he is a bit of an outcast,” said Warne in the Courier-Mail. “KP might be the walking ego with the way he struts around, and sometimes he is unpopular with his own team-mates, and he can rub people up the wrong way. But he has to be made to feel important and like he is the man. If he feels like that, he will give you everything.”Flower gave Warne’s theory short shrift when informed of it during a press conference on Monday morning. “He’s anything but an outcast,” said Flower. “He’s a good guy to have around in the dressing room, a great player to have on your side, a very dangerous player that the opposition worries about. We expect great things from him and we expect him to take part in team dynamics like everyone else does, and that’s what he does.”In keeping with England’s languid approach to Thursday’s first Test at the Gabba, the squad marked their arrival in Brisbane with a day of sight-seeing, with Flower subscribing to the notion that working hard and playing hard is the best blend for creating a happy and dynamic team ethic. And as if to prove a point about Pietersen’s ability to mix it in a dressing-room environment, it was also confirmed that he will be joining Surrey for the 2011 season, having enjoyed a brief stint with them back in September following the severing of ties with his old club, Hampshire.”I think that we do have very good team unity,” said Flower. “Kevin does like the big stage, and I think that’s one of the great things about him as a competitive athlete, he enjoys the pressure situations, the chance to bat brilliantly while everyone’s watching, and that’s part of what makes up a very fine competitor.”Nevertheless, with the cauldron atmosphere of the “Gabbatoir” fast approaching, Pietersen remains the one England player who has yet to make a significant mark during England’s warm-up period, with a top score of 58 in four first-class innings at Perth, Adelaide and Hobart. What is more, his renowned weakness against left-arm spin was once again exposed in the final match against Australia A, when he was bowled for 5 by Steve O’Keefe – a dismissal that may well have influenced the selection of Xavier Doherty over Australia’s incumbent offspinner, Nathan Hauritz, for the first Test.Flower, however, isn’t convinced that such a tactic will pay off on the big day, and put the O’Keefe dismissal down to the bowler’s skill. “I thought he got quite a good ball the other day,” he said. “It drifted and just turned a bit at a reasonable pace. KP’s had a lot of success against left-arm spinners, and against Shane Warne who bowled with a similar trajectory, and I think he’s playing very well. He’s spent some time in the middle over the three first-class games, and though he missed out in Hobart, he’s feeling confident about his game and I expect him to do well. He’s in as good a nick as I could have hoped.”Despite the daunting reputation of the Gabba, a venue at which Australia haven’t lost a Test match in 22 years, Flower brushed aside the notion that the tone of the forthcoming series would be established from the very first ball – as was the case in 1994-95, when a Phil DeFreitas long-hop was carved for four by Michael Slater, and again in 2006-07, when Steve Harmison bowled his infamous wide to second slip.”We all realise the importance of setting the tone, but a five-Test series will not be won or lost over one ball,” he said. “We’ve played some good cricket recently and our guys think we can win this series. Whether or not we’re favourites is by the by, but any of the cricketers taking part in the middle will tell you that has nothing to do with facing up in that first hour or attacking with the new ball. We’re not overly concerned with that sort of judgment.”Australia have got an outstanding record here,” he conceded. “It’s going to be quite a record to turn over, but our side in the last 12-18 months has done a few good things, one of which was turning over that Lord’s record of not having beaten Australia there for 75 years. This is the challenge put in front of us, and we’re looking forward to it.”As for the overall importance of the Ashes, Flower was careful not to overstate their value, just as was the case in 2009 when England’s celebrations involved a low-key night on the tiles and an early flight to Belfast for a one-day game. Such a dismissive attitude to a triumph of that magnitude did raise a few eyebrows, not least from the team itself, but the approach was justified in hindsight, as England went on to build on their performance in a manner they were unable to do in 2005.”The Ashes is an important series, obviously, and the whole history of the competition is interesting, and it’s a real honour for everyone in our squad to be involved in it,” he said. “But we have ambitions to be the No.1 side in the world, and the Ashes being an important series in its own right is an important step along the way.”