Ehsan Mani has urged cricket boards to take responsibility to curb corruption in the sport by engaging with their governments and law enforcement agencies to punish the perpetrators they find

Umar Farooq13-Mar-2012Ehsan Mani, the former ICC president, has urged cricket boards to take responsibility to curb corruption in the sport by engaging with their governments and law enforcement agencies to punish the perpetrators they find. Mani said while the role of the ICC was limited, India’s role in this exercise could be “significant” if it found a way to monitor and regulate the illegal betting industry in the country.”Every time it is the players who are under the radar. The ones who corrupt the cricketers are somehow never punished,” Mani told ESPNcricinfo. “One was hoping that the conviction of three Pakistanis and one English cricketer would send out a strong message and frighten players, but this I think is not going to work. In the long run, it is the root-cause that has to be dealt with.”An undercover operation by the stated that two Indian bookmakers had claimed they remained undeterred by the recent prosecutions of professional cricketers, the game continued to offer plenty of opportunities for spot-fixing and that professional cricketers could be easily be lured in all forms of the game. In the report the bookies had said that they had recruited players from several countries to throw part or all of international matches, including the World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan. The ICC denied there had been evidence to “prompt an investigation into the match.”Mani defended the ICC’s actions in the current environment, saying its role was limited as the influence of the illegal betting industry was hard to control. “They don’t have the authority to set up the sting operations in any country so the responsibility [should be] laid on the individual boards to follow up. The problem is the illegal bookies in the subcontinent – most of them are from India and some are in Pakistan. They work in a grey area where there is no control and monitoring.”The reported the bookmaker’s laundry list of fixing ‘rates’ offered. “Tens of thousands of pounds are on offer to fix matches, typically £44,000 ($70,000) to batsmen for slow scoring; £50,000 ($80,000) for bowlers who concede runs; and as much as £750,000 ($1.2m) to players or officials who can guarantee the outcome of a match,” the newspaper reported the bookmaker’s claims.The figures did not surprise Mani who said players could be easily tempted when they were offered large sums of money for little effort. “I’m afraid there will be some $600m involved in the upcoming one match between India and Pakistan on March 18. So for them [illegal bookmakers] investing $5 to 10m on a player is nothing. These days fixing a whole team isn’t possible but controlling individual player is viable and it could be common.”The ECB, Mani said, had been proactive in the Westfield case, asking players to come forward to reveal what they knew. They board responded robustly to concerns that the county circuit was as vulnerable to the influence of illegal bookies as the international game. The Indian board, however, Mani said, needed to take cognisance of the newspaper report. Even the BCCI had declined to respond, with the IPL governing council chairman Rajeev Shukla saying, “Newspapers can publish anything, unless we get something concrete from an agency or ICC, I don’t think it would be appropriate to react to it.”Mani said India could play a significant role by making betting legal. “These problems will never finish until the Indian government finds a way to regulate illegal book-making. I have seen the ECB showing concern, asking players to come and tell them what they know after Westfield’s sentencing. I think it’s the member boards who have to step up to engage the law enforcement agencies to work with them to clean up cricket.”

Cricket Australia is expected to move to a smaller board featuring some independent directors in October, despite objections from the South Australian Cricket Association

Brydon Coverdale24-Apr-2012Cricket Australia is expected to move to a smaller board featuring some independent directors in October, despite objections from the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA). A fully independent board is likely to be introduced in 2015, meaning that within three years the state associations will almost certainly have no representation at CA board level.The plan is part of CA’s response to the Crawford-Carter review into the organisation’s governance. A new financial model that would see CA take control of all internationals played in Australia has also been proposed. Board reform was one of the key recommendations from the governance review, which suggested the end to the archaic system in which some states held greater power than others.The two-stage plan, discussed at a CA board meeting in Melbourne on Tuesday, is based around introducing three independent directors to work alongside six state-appointed directors – one from each state – at the annual general meeting in October. In 2015, barring any unforeseen hurdles, the six state-appointed directors would be phased out and all nine board members would be independent of official state affiliation, although there would need to be at least one residing in each state.The existing board structure features 14 directors, all appointed by state boards, with three each from New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, two each from Western Australia and Queensland, and one from Tasmania. CA chairman Wally Edwards said South Australia remained reluctant to give up its voice on the board, but approval from five of the six states was enough for the moves to go ahead.”We didn’t get a unanimous position because of this issue of the independent director,” Edwards said. “One state is pretty well locked in on wanting to have their own delegated director for all time. That’s the one sticking point there, from SACA.”SACA are against it, I don’t want to hide that fact. They’re very positive on everything except that the director who would be located in South Australia, they want to be able to appoint him and they want him to be on their board.”In the end, if five out of the six states agree then it moves forward and Cricket Australia’s constitution will be changed to say that directors can’t be a member of their state board… it’s an issue that SACA will have to come to grips with as well.”The move needs to be approved at a special CA meeting in July, and South Australia’s objections would not be enough to prevent it. Should the proposal succeed, a nomination committee consisting of Edwards, two state chairmen and two people who are not part of a board will choose the three independent directors who would take office in October.The new CA chairman would then be elected at the AGM from those three independent directors and the six directors nominated by the state boards. Edwards said he was confident the changes would be approved and would lead to the total overhaul of the board in 2015 – CA says the two-stage process is a legal obligation – despite the failure of several attempts in past years to revolutionise the unwieldy and inequitable board structure.”If this goes through in July, we will have achieved a lot,” Edwards said. “We will still have one more phase to go and we will still have six appointed directors, but we’ll have moved from 14 to nine, all states will be put on an equal footing… there’s been a lot of grumpiness about some states being more equal than others. This first step gets rid of all that.”Edwards also said the states had agreed to a new financial model in which each state association would give up the management of international matches in its territory, and in return would be paid a minimum guarantee grant by CA. Edwards said no state would be worse off under the new plan, which he said would “untangle a lot of the very, very complicated… ways of running our business”.

James Taylor was relieved to finally be rewarded after a month battling in bowler-friendly conditions with a hundred for England Lions

Andrew McGlashan at Northampton11-May-2012James Taylor was relieved to finally be rewarded after a month battling in bowler-friendly conditions as his hundred put England Lions in a commanding position against the West Indians. The home side built a lead of 194 before nipping out three wickets to set themselves up for a three-day victory push on Saturday.Taylor has not scored a fifty in the County Championship for Nottinghamshire, his new county, so far this season although feels he has played well against the moving ball and this time managed to convert his start into a substantial contribution.”I’m really pleased; it’s about time to be fair, it’s been a tough season so far,” he said. “I’ve scored some gritty runs and it was ideal to score some runs at the right time. I dug in and I think we put on a hundred for the last two wickets which has put us in a really strong position for the rest of the game.”He could not have wished for a better audience, either, with all the England selectors, Andy Flower and a host of ECB officials in attendance in Northampton, although few remained when Taylor reached his hundred during the final session. Having slipped a little off the radar over the last six months he will not have done his future chances any harm. The injury scare surrounding Ravi Bopara, even though it could turn out to be minor, showed how quickly an opportunity can arise.”We saw them all around at certain points of the day but you don’t really think about the selectors when you are batting; it’s just about the next ball and trying to play it. But it’s always nice to score a hundred in front of them.”It was far from all plain sailing for the Lions during the day as they fell to 98 for 5 during the morning session, with the West Indian bowlers showing why they will pose a threat to England during the Test series. Then, during the afternoon, it appeared the Lions lead would be kept under three figures but Taylor combined with the lower order – including a last-wicket stand of 64 with Jade Dernbach – to give the visitors the runaround.”It’s the worst time in cricket, when the tailenders are scoring runs and it was perfect for us to get those runs,” he said. “It was so annoying for them.”However, having had first-hand experience of a lengthy stay against the visiting bowling attack he was well aware that they will be a handful during the Test series. “They have some quick balls in them, those boys, and they showed it,” he said. “Luckily today was my day and I came out OK. They have some quality bowlers who get pace and bounce. It was nice to come up against them and to get runs.”

Ajmal Shahzad, the former England seamer who was released by Yorkshire in controversial circumstances last week, is to join Lancashire on loan until the end of the season.

George Dobell08-May-2012Ajmal Shahzad, the former England seamer who was released by Yorkshire in controversial circumstances last week, has joined Lancashire.Shahzad was made available to other counties after Yorkshire’s chairman Colin Graves accused him of not being a team player. He has moved to Lancashire on a loan deal until the end of the season with a view to agreeing a more permanent contract at a later date.The attraction for Lancashire is obvious. The defending champions have lost three of their first four games and currently find themselves just four points off the bottom of the division one championship table.Shgahzad tweeted: “Great feeling to be back into cricket today! Appreciate Lancashire for having me on a loan agreement till the end of the season.”Lancashire’s cricket director Mike Watkinson said: “With Tom Smith being ruled out for at least a month after tearing a hamstring and Pakistan set to announce this week their squad for a series in Sri Lanka this summer, which could mean us missing out on bringing Junaid back, the availability of a hugely talented and experienced bowler comes at a good time for us.”Although Shahzad’s first-class record is modest – he has a bowling average of 33.80 and an underwhelming economy rate in both limited-overs formats – he has long been seen as a cricketer of rich potential and Lancashire will hope that Peter Moores’ sympathetic man management will coax the best out of him. Shahzad has played one Test, 11 ODIs and three T20Is for England.”We are delighted to bring a bowler of Ajmal’s quality into our squad,” Moores said. “He will join a strong seam attack, giving us the depth needed to compete on all fronts. He is known for his competitive nature, which will fit perfectly into the set-up at Lancashire.”As if the failure to harness Shahzad’s potential was not painful enough, the fact that the player has joined their keenest rivals will sting some at Yorkshire, a deal also brokered by a former Lancashire player, Neil Fairbrother, who is Shahzad’s agent.Eight years ago he became the first Yorkshire-born cricketer of Pakistani background to represent Yorkshire and is the first Yorkshire player to move to Lancashire since David Byas did so in 2002.Shahzad had also interested Sussex, Somerset and Surrey, among others, and his quick tour of England last week to talk to potential suitors emphasised that many counties did not share Yorkshire’s reservations about his talent or commitment.Yorkshire’s relationship with Shahzad deteriorated over time because in his eyes they were insisting that he bowled out of character, insisting on a disciplined – he thought regimented – approach with little forgiveness for experimentation. Moores’ challenge is to integrate a dedicated but strong-willed cricketer with an appetite for innovation into a team pattern.Yorkshire sought to e nsure that Shahzad left on a happy note with the county’s official Twitter feed stating: “Wishing @AJShahzad all best with Lanky! Real shame it didn’t work out at #yccc. Both parties on different cricket pages but a genuine talent. Ajmal had different thoughts on how his cricket should go than club. He wasn’t happy. Threatened positive atmosphere in squad. No one at club is happy that Ajmal has gone and we do genuinely wish him well.”

Sussex won a high-scoring game by 19 runs against Essex at Hove to go clear at the top of the Friends Life t20 South Group

24-Jun-2012
ScorecardSussex won a high-scoring game by 19 runs against Essex at Hove to go clear at the top of the Friends Life t20 South Group.Chris Nash made 52 and Joe Gatting 45 not out as Sussex set a daunting total of 209 for 6, the second highest in the competition this season. Some big hitting from Mark Pettini (44) and James Foster (47) kept Essex in contention but they fell short in the end, with Chris Liddle taking 3 for 35.Sussex’s former Essex player Scott Styris took the Man of the Match award after making a quickfire 36 and claiming 2 for 28.Luke Wright and Nash set the tone by smashing 21 runs off the second over from Graham Napier as Sussex raced to 74-0 after the six-over Powerplay. Wright carried on where he left off against Middlesex on Friday night when he made 91 as he hit sixes off David Masters and Napier before slapping a full toss from Ryan ten Doeschate straight to long off for 40 off 21 balls.The departure of Wright did not slow the scoring rate, however, as Nash and Styris continued to take the attack to Essex. Nash made his runs from 41 balls, including two fours and two sixes, before being stumped by a smart piece of work by Foster off a leg-side wide from ten Doeschate.Styris enjoyed himself against his old side as he crashed sixes off ten Doeschate and Reece Topley before being caught in the deep for 36 off 20 balls. Gatting ensured Sussex’s innings did not lose momentum as he hit a career-best score from just 22 balls, including four fours and two sixes, as the Sharks posted their second-highest total ever in the competition.Essex made a slow start in reply but remained in contention thanks to Pettini, who made 44 off 31 balls. The Eagles were well behind the run rate at halfway on 74 for 2 but some powerful hitting from Greg Smith and Foster gave them hope of pulling off a sensational win.Smith hit three sixes in his 26-ball 39 before being bowled by Will Beer while Foster hit four sixes in a row to reduce the deficit to 25 off the final over but Essex’s hopes disappeared when their captain was caught on the boundary with three balls to go.

Netherlands and the UAE shared seven points each after the Intercontinental Cup match ended in a draw after no play was possible on the fourth day in a rainy Deventer

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2012
ScorecardNetherlands and the UAE shared seven points each after the Intercontinental Cup match ended in a draw after no play was possible on the fourth day in a rainy Deventer. The result meant that both teams are now placed in the middle of the table with 30 points each. The highlight of the match was debutant Shahbaz Bashir’s century on the third day which helped Netherlands score 308 runs.The two teams will play two ODIs – Rotterdam on July 21 and Deventer on July 23 – but the possibility of rain being a factor remains high after two full days were lost in Deventer.

Hashim Amla did a strange thing when he reached his century at Lord’s. He dedicated the ton to the team’s video analyst, Prassan Agoram, gesturing a TV-set towards the dressing room

Firdose Moonda at Lord's19-Aug-2012The usually undemonstrative Hashim Amla did a strange thing when he reached his century at Lord’s. He demonstrated something. A television set drawn mid-air was his way of dedicating the ton to the team’s video analyst, Prassana Agoram, one of the squadron of back-room staff who have all been credited with making the South African team the strong unit they have become.”It was just an acknowledgment of the amount of work he puts in,” Amla said, when explaining his gesture. “He said something really inspirational to me before the series which is why I did it.” Amla would not reveal what Agoram had said, saying “it’s a personal thing” but his acknowledgment was a telling detail about the new culture of the South African team.Gary Kirsten has created a community, which Dale Steyn said “trusts” each other as part of the key to their success. Apart from a head coach, an assistant coach, a bowling coach and the usual medical and administrative staff – physiotherapist, media manager and logistics manager, they also have a performance director in Paddy Upton and an adventurer in Mike Horn. Both are not with the team all the time but their influence is obvious.Ever since the Switzerland bonding exercise at Horn’s home, South Africa have appeared mentally tougher than they have ever been before. They have been willing to reach deeper, pull harder, think bigger and play tougher and it is those things that have made them the better side for large chunks of the series.Amla was hesitant to say the change had been recent. “It’s been like this for quite a few years. It’s not all of a sudden,” he said. “But the way some of the lower order guys came to the party has been a hallmark for the last two Tests.”Without making the point explicitly, Amla still made it. Crucial performances have come from unlikely places and South Africa have never looked out of control. “The games have ebbed and flowed in different situations and we’ve managed to get out of bad situations at times,” Amla said.The ability to bat on even when runs are not being scored, something only Jonny Bairstow was able to muster for England, has been one of the things that set South Africa apart. At Leeds, Alviro Petersen and Jacques Rudolph battled through a tricky first hour, at Lord’s, Amla and Dale Steyn did it. “We were in a delicate position but we knew we had to hang in there for about 30 minutes and that really set up the day for us. Then Vernon and Morne showed a lot of guts as well later on,” Amla said.The ability to take wickets, even on pitches that look like batting could continue for months on, has been the other. South Africa took 20 wickets at The Oval where England could only manage two, on a surface far less helpful than the one at Lord’s. Even though a draw will still give them the series win and No.1 ranking, Amla said they have bigger targets in their sights.”We are thinking of the win. We do understand it’s going to take a lot of hard work but if we show the intensity we showed this evening, we can win.”England face the uphill battle of needing to score over 330 runs on a fifth day pitch, something Amla said is hard enough without bigger things at stake. “Any score above 300 is a very difficult ask,” he said. “I think any score above 250, especially on the last innings when the wicket is deteriorating is difficult.”Asked if South Africa will think up new ways to keep England up against it, Amla said they do not need to, because the situation is fraught enough for their opposition. “The wicket itself is good to bat on but in the last innings, there is this thing called pressure that exists. When we were batting we felt it. England have to make the play and if we hit our areas for long enough, they are going to have look to score. We are going to try and stick to our plan. That situation alone creates enough pressure.”

Northamptonshire have confirmed that Jack Brooks has been allowed to utilise a get-out clause in his contract to further his international ambitions

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2012Northamptonshire have confirmed that Jack Brooks, the pace bowler, has been allowed to utilise a get-out clause in his contract to further his international ambitions.Brooks, who made a late start to his professional career having come through Minor County cricket, played for England Lions against the West Indians this season on his home ground. In the Championship he took 23 wickets at 35.69 in a campaign disrupted by injury and overall has 118 first-class wickets at 28.95″I’ve taken this decision to leave Northants because I want to compete at the highest level possible,” Brooks said. “The opportunities being offered to me are too good to turn down, and I owe it to myself to explore all avenues as I continue my quest for international honours.””I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Northants and fully appreciate the support I’ve been given by all at the club. Hopefully, I’ll be remembered for my performances and wholehearted approach to the game.”Head coach David Ripley said: “I am saddened by Jack’s departure, we will miss him both on the field and in the dressing room as he is a real character. He is striving for international honours and domestic trophies, which I believe are both achievable here, but I fully understand and respect his decision to leave. We wish Jack all the best in his future.”David Smith, the chief executive, added that this was a situation clubs are becoming used to these days. “Jack leaving us is a reflection of our more mobile cricket society and of more flexible employment laws that allow players to move between county cricket clubs on a more regular basis than in the past.”The club wants to place on record its appreciation of Jack’s service over the past four years and wish him all the very best for the future. Jack has been a very popular member of our dressing room.”

Virat Kohli’s emergence as a permanent occupant of the batting slot left vacant by Sourav Ganguly was perhaps the only plus for India from the embarrassing Australia tour last season

Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore02-Sep-2012Virat Kohli’s emergence as a permanent occupant of the batting slot left vacant by Sourav Ganguly was perhaps the only plus for India from the embarrassing Australia tour last season. Kohli has already grown to become India’s leading one-day batsmen, and with two hundreds and two half-centuries in his last five Test innings, he is slowly cracking the five-day game as well.Kohli has experienced several highs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, though most have come during IPL and Champions League Twenty20 campaigns.On Sunday, he completed his second Test century, which allowed India to virtually level the game against New Zealand at the end of the first innings, leaving Kohli more thrilled than after his Twenty20 hijinks.”It’s always satisfying to get a Test hundred,” he said. “People asked me this earlier as well, which hundred is most special to you and I said the hundred in Adelaide against Australia. I didn’t have that feeling ever in my life, before or after – and I felt it today again. I think that is the most satisfying, when you’re being tested and your patience is being tested, your technique is tested and you manage to score a hundred – it always pleases a batsman.”Soon after reaching triple-digits, though, Kohli shouldered arms to an indipper from Tim Southee, which cut off his innings at 103. “That was the only ball in my innings in which I didn’t look at the bowler’s hand. That ball he bowled crossed seam and I didn’t look. That was a lapse in concentration and you just need one to get out in international cricket. Again, it’s a lesson for me to be learnt and hopefully when I cross that 100 mark next time I can make it a big one.”One of the features of Kohli’s century was the patience he showed early in his innings, displaying a willingness to leave the ball – an aspect of his cricket that he said he was working on. “In the first Test I thought I played too many attacking shots because we hadn’t played any practice match and we were playing a Test after seven months,” he said.”Personally, I thought it was difficult to adapt suddenly. And then we batted first too. Unless you have played some practice games and are in that mindset – that makes a difference. In the first Test, my bat went instinctively for some shots, but it wasn’t my intention to play the ball. So I worked on that for this game. I thought that they would bowl in the areas that I have got out before and try to get me hitting in the gaps. So like I did in Australia where I let the bowler come to me, I thought I’ll leave the ball more and defend more.”India’s bowlers backed up his effort by wheedling out nine second-innings wickets, leaving India facing a target of around 250. It will be one of India’s highest successful chases if they pull it off, but Kohli was confident the home side had the edge entering the fourth day. “We’d like to think so (that the match is tilted towards India),” he said. “The morning session was really nice for them. But now that we look back after taking nine wickets, it played in our favour, because there are still two more days to go. And as a side setting a total, you always have that in mind – that if you lose wickets, the other side has two days to score the runs. Tomorrow if we take an early wicket, we have a lot of time to chase down that score.”One of the reasons for Kohli’s optimism was the benign pitch. “The wicket doesn’t have that much,” he said. “Their seam bowlers bowled well in the morning. I think the morning freshness of the wicket that stays for about an hour is the only factor, and they used that well. Apart from that, if we apply ourselves, I think we’ll be in a good position.”India no longer have the services of their fourth-innings specialist VVS Laxman, and the tricky target they face on Monday will be another examination for Kohli and the other youngsters in the rebuilt middle-order, testing their readiness for a long run in the Test side.

Stephen Fleming’s success as Chennai Super Kings coach stems from his uncomplicated approach to utilise individual strengths of the members of his team

Firdose Moonda13-Oct-2012Stephen Fleming has confirmed that he has no ambitions of coaching at the international level, despite his success with the Chennai Super Kings. Fleming has taken the team to three trophies – two IPL titles and one Champions League win – and has formed a strong partnership with Indian captain MS Dhoni, but has no desire to extend that any further.”I get my cricket fix doing this,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “And then I am just enjoying living a normal life. With all the travelling I did as a player, it’s nice to just have a normal life. It’s great to be able to do this for a few weeks a year but that is it.”Fleming’s decision will be a loss to the coaching fraternity, especially as he is regarded as one of the most astute men in the job. His players, like Faf du Plessis, describe him as authoritative but not dictatorial, and helpfully instructive without being overbearing.That much was on display during the team’s arrival press conference in Johannesburg. A question was asked to the table on the way Dhoni thought about R Ashwin and Fleming allowed S Badrinath to answer instead of him. “He has confidence in Ashwin to bowl in the Powerplays. Ashwin has also been bowling a few new balls with a new action. He comes up with something new every day, so to have a guy like him in the team gives more options to the captain,” Badrinath said.”Very good, that’s absolutely right,” Fleming told him and added nothing to the assessment. Badrinath is not a youngster and as one of the core members of the squad was thought more than capable of handling questions over their strategy. The smile that crept over Fleming’s face spoke of his satisfaction that the players are capable of holding their own.Fleming’s philosophy lies in relying on individual strengths rather than actively cultivating a team ethos. That is one of the reasons he has been able to bring the best out of someone like Albie Morkel, who is a CSK superstar but has not been able to replicate those performances at national level. Fleming explained that he has given Morkel certain reassurances that he does not have when playing for South Africa.”He is a bit more secure with us and a bit more in spotlight which may make him more comfortable with CSK in his role,” Fleming said. “When you have got a talented side like South Africa, they try different techniques and tactics all the way through and he may be searching a bit for his role within the side.”Having complete definition of what is expected of him has seen Morkel turn in far better performances, especially with the ball, for CSK. “He wants to be more consistent with the ball. He tends to be more inconsistent with the international stuff rather than with us,” Fleming said. “There will be a pressure aspect there, a composure aspect especially where he is searching more for that magic formula. When he comes back to us, he has that confidence and has those good thoughts again and performs well.”Morkel is of particular importance to this CSK campaign because he will also add an insider’s knowledge of conditions. “He also arranges golf brilliantly and [is] magnificent with safaris,” Fleming joked. “The biggest challenge is trying to find the right team for the conditions at this time of year so Albie will be useful to us in getting that right.”Bowlers are expected to have a good time on South Africa’s bouncy pitches which should even the contest between what is thought to be a batsmen’s game and them. “It was initially tailor-made for the batsmen, now the bowlers have improved a lot,” Michael Hussey, another CSK stalwart, said. “The onus over the next couple of years is for the batters to step up their game.”It is trends like those that Fleming has been so effective reading and preparing for. He has picked up on the nuances of a format that is seen as the caveman of cricket – without much subtlety – and has had success because of it. “The competition has got a bit tighter,” he said. “We are all looking for new ways to do things. But in saying that, there is a risk you can complicate things.” For now, simplifying them is as much as he wants from his coaching career.