Gilchrist pushes Chennai to the brink

 

Kings XI Punjab kept themselves in contention for a place in the playoffs with a comfortable victory set up by their seamers in Dharamsala. In conditions conducive to swing and movement, Praveen Kumar and Parvinder Awana stymied Chennai Super Kings, who finished their league campaign on a disappointing note, though are still hanging by a thread in this IPL, and are at the mercy of other results.

Kings XI's decision to go in with a four-pronged pace attack paid off and despite a Super Kings fightback led by Dwayne Bravo, a target of 121 proved easy to scale down. Adam Gilchrist, returning to lead his side after a lay-off of nearly a month due to a hamstring injury, smashed an unbeaten half-century to see his team home in front of a full house at the picturesque HPCA Stadium.

Gilchrist, after winning the toss, had no doubts about putting Super Kings in and Praveen went about justifying that decision. Several IPL venues around the country have supported movement off the pitch but here there was genuine swing on offer, giving the seamers much to smile about in a format designed for big hits. The Super Kings openers were confident when the ball was pitched up but indecisive when the length was just held back a touch. Praveen sensed that early and beat M Vijay, before having him caught behind when he tried to play an expansive shot.

Michael Hussey faced a tough time against Ryan Harris, pushing and prodding at away-going deliveries before nicking one to the keeper off Praveen. Suresh Raina was dropped on 2 at slip by Piyush Chawla and he went on to strike two sixes off Azhar Mahmood - one launched over long-off, the other top-edged over fine leg. But Raina chased a wide one that same over, and was snapped up by Gilchrist. Super Kings were in trouble when a nippy Parvinder Awana, who also got excellent carry, dismissed MS Dhoni to make it 46 for 4, but Bravo fought back.

Bravo waited for an opening, provided by the spin of Piyush Chawla, dispatching a long hop over midwicket and creaming him through point. He then went after David Hussey, smashing his offspinners for consecutive sixes towards cow-corner. Though Awana continued to be miserly, going for just 12 in his four-over spell and picking up two wickets, Mahmood faced an assault at the death. Albie Morkel hammered him for a six and a four, and Bravo was able to put together stands of 32 and 34 with Ravindra Jadeja and Morkel. His 48 gave Super Kings something to defend but Kings XI were the happier bunch at the halfway mark.

Gilchrist ensured the advantage remained with Kings XI. Though Ben Hilfenhaus and Albie Morkel found some assistance under overcast skies, it wasn't as much as the first innings. Kings XI approached the chase positively and an early burst prevented Super Kings from applying any serious pressure. Mandeep Singh, albeit a little fortuitously, slashed Hilfenhaus for a couple of boundaries in the first over and Gilchrist drove Morkel powerfully twice in the second. When R Ashwin was brought on in the sixth, he was pulled and swept by Gilchrist for two boundaries.

Mandeep fell after a half-century stand, and Nitin Saini and David Hussey lost their wickets playing avoidable shots but Kings XI were always on track while Gilchrist stayed in the middle. He was determined to see his team through, was cautious when the need arose and ruthless when an opportunity came. He slashed Bravo over point, and then tore into Yo Mahesh, whose generous dose of short balls and length deliveries promptly dealt with. He was thrashed for two sixes over square leg and two more fours in an over that fetched 22, and the win from there on was a foregone conclusion.

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Bangalore look to stay alive

 

How rapidly prospects change in the IPL. Two days ago, Royal Challengers Bangalore were on a three-match winning streak, with healthy chances of making the playoffs. Then they lost to Mumbai Indians, one of their competitors for a top-four finish, and later that day another competitor, Chennai Super Kings, beat Kolkata Knight Riders, whose position is far healthier than that of Royal Challengers. Now Royal Challengers need to win their last two games, both away from home, to have a realistic chance of qualifying, but even that may not be enough if it comes down to net run-rates.

It gets harder. The first of Royal Challengers' two must-win games is against Delhi Daredevils, league leaders and the first team to secure a playoff berth. It's at the Feroz Shah Kotla, where the pitch and conditions seem customised for the home side's hard-hitting batsmen and battery of fast bowlers. Daredevils also have two games remaining and one victory will guarantee a top spot, which will give them a second chance of making the grand final should they slip up in the first.
(most recent first, completed games)

Delhi Daredevils: WLWLW
Royal Challengers Bangalore: LWWWL

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IPL 5 Point Table

Cloz competition wid Chenie and Banglore , Kings Punjab vs Rajistan  

look this point table

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR
Daredevils	14	10	4	0	0	20	+0.715
KKR	15	9	5	0	1	19	+0.478
Mum Indians	15	9	6	0	0	18	-0.160
Super Kings	15	8	6	0	1	17	+0.214
RCB	14	7	6	0	1	15	-0.072
Royals	14	7	7	0	0	14	+0.335
Kings XI	14	7	7	0	0	14	-0.293
Warriors	15	4	11	0	0	8	-0.477
Chargers	14	2	11	0	1	5	-0.680

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BCCI begins corruption probe

The BCCI has begun its investigation of the corruption charges against five players, with Shalabh Srivastava deposing before its inquiry commission in New Delhi.

The hearing was conducted by Ravi Sawani, head of the new anti-corruption wing announced by the BCCI on Saturday. Sawani, whose last job was heading the ICC's ACSU, has been given 15 days to carry out his investigation and report to the BCCI.

Srivastava, part of the Kings XI Punjab squad before his suspension on Tuesday, was allegedly caught on tape negotiating a fee for bowling a no-ball; India TV, which carried out the sting, ran the audio of the tape and showed footage of a player bowling a big no-ball in a limited-overs match. Srivastava has since denied any such incident.

No official comment was made on the hearing, which was held at the Maurya Sheraton hotel. It is believed that while Srivastava attended in person, and was seen at the hotel for more than an hour, the rest were contacted over the phone.

Sawani - who forms the one-man committee - will give the players time to present their defence both in person and in writing. It is also understood that at this stage there will be no legal personnel involved on either side.

This will be Sawani's first test, less than a week after his appointment to the job and before he has had time to either become acquainted with workings of the board or assemble a team.

The other players suspended by the BCCI are Mohnish Mishra, T P Sudhindra, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali. Mishra remained in Pune, where he has been suspended by his IPL team Pune Warriors. However, a Warriors official said he was being given "the benefit of doubt" until his case was completely heard.

Another franchise, Kings XI Punjab - which has two players, Srivastava and Yadav, implicated in the sting - issued a media release, stating that it would support the investigation and abide by any decision eventually taken by the BCCI if any player was found guilty. The statement echoed comments made to reporters by the team captain David Hussey.

Meanwhile, India's sports minister Ajay Maken said the BCCI's probe should go deeper than just the five players. "I have already said, and I am emphasising again that BCCI should go into the root cause of the problem," he said. "Suspension of five players is not enough. BCCI has to come out with a long-term solution to sort out this mess."

He also suggested that the BCCI should de-link itself from the IPL, citing the example of football's English Premier League. "IPL should be at a arm's distance from BCCI. It should not be under BCCI. IPL and BCCI should be away from each other so that there is no overlapping of interests," he said. "If you look at English Premier League and other leagues world over, they always have distance from their parent sports federations."

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Strauss not looking too far ahead

 

With the sun shining on Lord's and Andrew Strauss receiving the ICC Test Championship mace in the rose garden, it would be easy to reach the conclusion that all is well for England cricket.

It is true, too, that the last few years have brought unprecedented success. England have won their first global competition - the World Twenty20 - they have won the Ashes home and away and they have climbed to No. 1 in the official Test and T201 rankings. It is a record of which they are justifiably proud.

Any delusions of grandeur they may have had, however, were dispelled over the winter. Defeat against Pakistan in the UAE - a crushing 3-0 defeat at that - provided a harsh reminder of how far they have to go before they can build the "legacy" of which they have spoken.

Now England find themselves at a crossroads. Win against West Indies and South Africa this summer and they will re-establish their reputation. They will still have questions to answer about their ability to counter good quality spin bowling in Asian conditions but they will at least arrive in India later this year with confidence restored. Lose either series this summer and they will be overtaken in the rankings and their period of supremacy will be regarded in much the same way as a one hit wonder looks back at their music career. Even a draw against West Indies, with the first Test starting at Lord's on Thursday, would see South Africa take top position.

Another series loss may also bring more casualties. Eoin Morgan was the one man to lose his place as a result of the winter's travails, but it was telling that, at the captains' pre-match media conference, it did not take long for questions to turn to Andrew Strauss' own form. England's captain, averaging just 26 over the last year, knows that he is under the spotlight and gave the strongest hint yet that he will reflect on his position as captain at the end of this three-match series.

"It's dangerous to look too far ahead," he said. "Things can change so quickly and if you're too wedded to some ideal moment to go you can be very surprised by it. So the way I'm looking at it really is one series at a time and if I feel like I'm still contributing and helping the side be a better side both as a captain and batsman then I don't see any reason to change things. But we just don't know what's round the corner; we never do."

Perhaps little should be read into such words. Strauss tends to speak in measured tones and use caveats to cover most eventualities. He did accept that the runs had not flowed as he would have liked, but insisted his confidence and his determination remained as high as ever. While he suggested conditions in the county game had not been conducive to batsmen finding their touch, he also knows that the likes of Nick Compton, Joe Root and Varun Chopra are rendering the argument that England do not have suitable top-order replacements redundant.

"I recognise as captain and as an opening batsman that I need to contribute," Strauss said. "I fully intend to do that. I've got no reason in my mind why I shouldn't go on and do that this summer. Hopefully I'll be able to lead from the front with the bat as well.

"It's always a challenge as an opener to score runs. I feel in reasonable form last six months, but 20s and 30s aren't what we're looking for.

"It didn't feel like a witch hunt [being questioned over his form], it just felt like the issue of the day. I think we all know that the only way to switch attention elsewhere is to go out and perform and that's what I intend to do.

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Imran Tahir seeks Qadir's help before England series

 

Imran Tahir, the South African legspinner, will prepare for the much-anticipated Test series against England with long-time mentor Abdul Qadir. Tahir is set to travel to Lahore to meet Qadir for personalised training before the national team heads to England in July, with the No. 1 Test ranking in their sights.

"It will be a very big series and if I do something special it will be one of the biggest achievements of my life," Tahir said at the Wanderers Stadium, his new domestic home. Tahir will represent the Lions franchise in the 2012-13 season, having moved there after two seasons at the Durban-based Dolphins. "I am not very similar but I am almost the kind of bowler which he [Qadir] was in his time so I want to get his help."

After the hype that surrounded Tahir's Test call up, he has performed below expectations. In his seven Test matches he has played for South Africa, claiming 18 wickets at an average of 37.05, and has not been the answer to South Africa's spin problem he was predicted to be.

In his defence, Tahir has had to battle in unhelpful conditions. Apart from seamer-friendly surfaces, two of the Tests he featured lasted only lasted three days and only two others went to five days. Instead of playing his natural game as a wicket-taker, Tahir has had to perform a more defensive role.

Both Gary Kirsten and Graeme Smith praised him for his ability to adjust, which Tahir said helped ease his worries about meeting expectations. "I had too much pressure on me to do something really good," he said. "But I had a lot of support from the boys and the management, especially the captain. He had to put the right field to defend because if I had gone for many runs, I would have been under more pressure."

When wickets did not come, Tahir resorted to the tactic of using as many variations as he had in his repertoire and earned nothing but criticism from those who thought he was trying too hard. He dismissed the notion of desperation and said that he is only hoping to make the most of being an international cricketer. "If I am playing for my country, I love to try as hard as I can. Inside I am always cool but no-one can see that," he said. "I want to try hard and make sure I don't relax and lose concentration and bowl a bad ball. I enjoy it that way."

Still, Tahir acknowledged that he has some work to do on some of his deliveries and will consult with Qadir to assist him. "He [Qadir] said anytime I need help I should talk to him but I feel it's better if I see him rather than talk to him on the phone," Tahir said. "He is a legend and he can help me big time. He can change small things. I think he can make me a better bowler than what I am now."

Tahir is also hopeful that the familiarity of playing in England will allow him to have more of a say in the course of the series. Tahir has spent some part of the last 12 years in the country. He played club cricket for eight season and county cricket for four. He is comfortable with the pitches and knows many of the English players, although he does not think their recent form against spinners will be something he can hope to exploit too much further.

"I've played with a few of the guys and against a few. They are a good team but I'm sure everyone is up for it. We want to beat them and take their place [at the top of the rankings]," he said. "I don't think they have been so bad against spin, apart from one series against Pakistan. We have to respect them. It's not going to be easy for us to beat them."

While the seam attacks of both sides are expected to headline the contest, there has been some suggestion that the difference will be in the quality of the spinners. Former England captain, Michael Vaughan posted a message on Twitter last week which read, "England's bowling attack is the best in the world. Would not swap it for any other. Not SA. Swann is the difference. Cheers."

Tahir refused to take the bait. "I won't say anything until we beat them. That's how we will prove him wrong."

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Whatmore expects tough Sri Lanka tour

 

Dav Whatmore, Pakistan's head coach, has said that his team will be sternly tested during their tour of Sri Lanka which begins on June 1.

The Pakistan players began a two-week conditioning camp in Lahore on Wednesday to prepare for the upcoming tour. They started with a fitness session in the morning at the National Academy and a net session at noon in Gaddafi Stadium.

With temperatures in Lahore touching 40C, Whatmore said he hoped his players would find it easy to acclimatise themselves to similar conditions in Sri Lanka. "It's pretty warm out here as well but it will be easy for us to acclimatise (to Sri Lankan conditions)," Whatmore said. "We're lucky to do a bit of work in the heat in the morning and a little bit in the afternoon.

"Some of the bowlers and batsmen have been working out in the heat to ensure we are prepared. I think we have to prepare properly for a series against a strong opposition."

Pakistan announced separate teams for each format for the upcoming tour and Whatmore said he was satisfied with the selection process.

"I am happy to see that players are being selected based on their suitability to a format. As far as leadership is concerned, it's not up to me and I will support what the PCB decides."

He also backed the inexperienced players selected for the tour. "There are one or two changes in the squad and that's a good thing as by keeping exactly the same squad we would be marching on the same spot, but we must move forward all the time."

Whatmore, who has had two stints as Sri Lanka's coach in the past, said he was expecting batting-friendly pitches in Sri Lanka. "We are not expecting anything different. The limited-overs pitches [in Sri Lanka] are good for batting."

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Narine mystery too much for Mumbai

It had all built up to that one moment. Gautam Gambhir, playing three spinners against the home side's decision to stick to three fast bowlers at the Wankhede Stadium, had hoped at the toss that the pitch would turn later. Kolkata Knight Riders had just about recovered from a horror start to post a decent 140. Mumbai Indians had found run-scoring as difficult as Knight Riders had, but had lost only two wickets at the halfway stage.

The last ball of the 11th over, Sunil Narine bowled a good length delivery to Sachin Tendulkar, who went for the cut. The ball spun in a mile and cannoned into off stump off bat and pad. Had both not come in the way, it would have taken out leg stump. With one of the game's greats not being able to pick Narine, the rest of the Mumbai Indians line-up had little chance. He finished with 4 for 15; had Lasith Malinga not got six off a dropped catch on the straight boundary, Narine could have had 5 for 9.

The 32-run margin was substantial in the end, and it was down to how swiftly Knight Riders barged in to the opening created by Tendulkar's dismissal. The pressure was already on Mumbai Indians after Herschelle Gibbs had crawled to 13 off 24 deliveries, four of those runs being overthrows. When Tendulkar fell, the asking-rate had touched nine. Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard had hunted down a much stiffer target against Royal Challengers Bangalore a couple of day ago. It wasn't to be today. Not on this pitch.

The Wankhede crowd waited for their all-star line-up to fire. They waited for the big hits to come. In vain. With 58 needed off 28, Shakib Al Hasan lured Rayudu out with a wider one to give Brendon McCullum an easy stumping. Jacques Kallis, who had got a ripper from RP Singh first ball, had Pollard edging a slow bouncer to McCullum. Next ball, he trapped Dwayne Smith in front with a skiddy delivery which nipped in. Rohit Sharma was Mumbai Indians' only hope now; Narine had him caught by a diving McCullum off a leading edge. The rest caved in.

Smith's fall had made it 96 for 6, exactly the same perilous position Knight Riders had found themselves in after being stunned early by an atrocious umpiring decision and a terrific ball from RP Singh. Their lower order and Yusuf Pathan rode on some fortune, though, to take 44 off the final 26 balls.

Stroke-making was hard as the usual Wankhede bounce combined with the ball not coming on. The pitch did not have any role to play in the first dismissal, though; umpire Subroto Das had. He adjudged McCullum lbw though the batsman was at least two metres out of his crease to a ball that pitched outside leg and would have missed off. Knight Riders were to get another rough one later, when Tendulkar was caught plumb in front first ball by Shakib, only to be denied by umpire Billy Doctrove.

RP Singh followed up the McCullum wicket by uprooting Kallis' off stump with a ripper, getting a short of a length ball to swing in and zip through the gate. A stunned Knight Riders tamely allowed the home bowlers to build up the pressure.

Even Gautam Gambhir, who has had a golden run this season, found it difficult to score, and could not capitalise on two let-offs. He was dropped by the wicketkeeper and by Tendulkar at third man, but was bowled on 27 as he missed a Pollard cutter.

Knight Riders continued to struggle to time their shots, with Tiwary pottering to 17 off 27 deliveries at one stage. An inside edge off Pollard brought him four, and he hammered the next ball past mid-off for another. Harbhajan Singh and Malinga were hit down the ground for sixes.

From 6 for 2 to 89 for 3 seemed a creditable recovery, given the pitch, but three wickets for seven runs nearly undid Tiwary's efforts. Yusuf, caught off a RP Singh no-ball, could not do much to break his poor run, but along with the lower order, managed to get Knight Riders to 140.

It hadn't looked to be a challenging total at the break, it turned out to be a match-winning one, and all but took Knight Riders to the playoffs.

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Shah Rukh Khan in trouble over stadium skirmish

 

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has lodged a formal police complaint against Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders and Bollywood superstar, over an alleged skirmish with security guards following Knight Riders' victory over the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. The MCA will meet to discuss what action is to be taken against Shah Rukh, who has denied being drunk and disorderly.

Late last night, MCA officials went to the Marine Drive Police Station to lodge a police complaint against him. Shah Rukh is being accused of trying to walk on to the field of play after the game. MCA treasurer Ravi Savant told PTI that Shah Rukh had "misbehaved and abused security personnel as well as MCA officials, including our president Vilasrao Deshmukh, after the IPL match. We have decided to ban him for life from entering the stadium in future."

Savant's statements about a life ban for Shah Rukh could not be corroborated with the IPL governing council chairman Rajeev Shukla telling reporters, "I will take the version of the MCA, Shah Rukh Khan and the police before talking about the issue. The decision on the ban is taken by the Working Committee so I will speak to MCA president Vilasrao Deshmukh on this. I have to take the version of all the parties involved and then speak."

Shah Rukh, who spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon, denied he had misbehaved or was drunk but said he was reacting to the "obnoxious" and "unpardonable" behaviour of officials at the stadium. He said he had not been present at the match but had gone there after it was over to pick up a large group of his children and their friends.

He said he saw security guards manhandling the children and when he objected a group of officials came over and the altercation started. "I said a few things in anger. I was one and they were 20-25 officials and they were extremely rude. When I tried to answer them, they hid behind others," the actor said. "There was nothing illegal, I was not on the pitch. I know the rules."

Asked about the possibility of a ban by the MCA, Shah Rukh said, "If this is the kind of behaviour meted out to people then I would not go there. There were people rushing at me aggressively. I think it's unpardonable that you manhandle kids in the name of security."

Savant told the news channel Headlines Today that Shah Rukh had tried to enter the stadium "after everything was over" and when asked to leave by the security guard Shah Rukh had "manhandled" him. It was alleged that Shah Rukh was "continuously using foul, filthy language towards officials who tried to pacify him and make him understand." An MCA member who also happened to be an assistant commissioner of police, was also seen trying to silence Shah Rukh.

Savant said all that was left at the moment was to put the proposed ban on paper and get its formalities completed, with a majority support with the MCA. He said that Shah Rukh had come to the ground well after the presentation ceremony and without any accreditation. "He had flouted all the rules", Savant said.

"Some unprovoked incident that took place, and foul language was used," Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's chief administrative officer, said. "MCA officials are angry. We will try to find out what has happened. Definitely, the BCCI will look at what the MCA has to say."

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Injured Jamshed out of Sri Lanka tour

 

Nasir Jamshed, the Pakistan opener, has been ruled out of next month's Sri Lanka tour after fracturing his left index finger, sidelining him for four to six weeks. He had been part of the ODI and Twenty20 squads for the Sri Lanka tour. The PCB hasn't named a replacement for Jamshed yet.

He sustained the injury from a club cricket match that earlier presumed a minor injury but was later revealed to be a fracture.

Jamshed, 22, had made a comeback to the Pakistan side during the Asia Cup, after an absence of nearly three years. He had a successful tournament, scoring a hundred in the crunch match against India.

"He is out of action due to his finger injury," Nadeem Sarwar, PCB GM media, told reporters on the first day of Pakistan's training camp at the Gaddafi Stadium. "He picked up the fracture during a club match last week and wasn't able to join the camp. His doctor has advised a four to six weeks rest and hence ruled out of the entire Sri Lanka series. There is no immediate replacement called to cover up him."

Injuries and illness have disrupted Jamshed's career previously as well. He debuted in 2008 and was beginning to establish himself in the side when he was laid low by a fever ahead of the ODI series against West Indies in Abu Dhabi. He was later selected for the one-dayers against Australia in 2009 but after the first ODI - his first match for Pakistan in more than nine months - he suffered a hamstring injury ruling him out of the rest of the series.

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IPL council suspends five players

 

The IPL governing council has suspended five players named by a sting operation alleging corruption until an inquiry into the accusations is conducted. TP Sudhindra (Deccan Chargers), Mohnish Mishra (Pune Warriors), Shalabh Srivastava (Kings XI Punjab), Amit Yadav (Kings XI Punjab) and Abhinav Bali were suspended, according to IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla.

"The above players would not be entitled to participate in any cricket match played under the aegis of the BCCI while under suspension," N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, said in a statement.

Shukla said Ravi Sawani, the former head of the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU), will conduct the inquiry. "The conversation [in the sting] is about other matches also, which are not IPL, or in previous IPLs," Shukla said after the meeting on Tuesday. "After due consideration, the BCCI president has decided to have an inquiry for which a commissioner has been appointed, Mr Ravi Sawani. He will be conducting the preliminary inquiry. His report will be sent to the disciplinary committee."

Indian politicians brought up the matter during a parliamentary session. Sports minister Ajay Maken said it was the BCCI's duty to investigate the matter appropriately. "I wish that the BCCI acts fast, [explores] the root cause of this problem and solves the problem in the interest of the millions of fans in cricket in our country," Maken was quoted as saying in an Indian newspaper, the Telegraph. "The challenge and the opportunity here lies with the BCCI, as to how far they are able to get to the bottom of the problem and sort it out."

Former India cricketer Kirti Azad, who is now a member of the country's main opposition party, the BJP, reportedly said that corruption in sports was on the rise with politicians heading sports associations. "I have no objections with politicians heading sports bodies," Azad was quoted as saying. "But ever since politicians have taken over, corruption has seeped in and grown from top to bottom."

However, Srinivasan said corruption was not as widespread in Indian cricket as it was being made out. "I don't think this operation can reflect what is going across the board. I can't deny what has happened because the evidence is there as what was shown yesterday. But at the same time it is a case of few individuals so I don't want to generalise on this," he told an Indian TV channel.

"I believe it will be a case of few individual players maybe out of greed or whatever taking wrong steps. I am not prepared to take a brush and paint the whole thing or say that this is rampant or anything like that."

He also defended the franchise owners from any allegation of corruption. "All the franchisees are people of stature behind it. It will be wrong to presume they are doing something wrong and then make enquiries. If something comes to light it is different."

Meanwhile Srivastava, one of the players accused by the sting, said he was not guilty. "I fail to understand whatever is being said about spot-fixing. Also if they [a TV channel) are showing all the video clips, why aren't they showing the clip where I allegedly am demanding Rs. 10 lakh?" he told NDTV. "The voice in that telephonic conversation is not mine. It is very easy to frame anyone with a doctored audio clip."

India TV, a television channel, showed footage of a player bowling a big no-ball in a limited-overs match and played a recording of a phone conversation that it said was of a current IPL player negotiating a fee for bowling a no-ball. It also had at least three players on camera allegedly seeking more lucrative deals - including extra money that would have violated their IPL contracts - with other league franchises through an undercover reporter posing as a sports agent.

Srivastava has not played a match for Kings XI this IPL season, though he was a fairly regular starter in 2011 and has played 14 matches in all. Mohnish Mishra played the solitary match for Warriors in 2012, when he replaced Sourav Ganguly against Royal Challengers Bangalore and was dismissed for 4. Sudhindra played three games for Chargers, conceding 136 runs and taking only one wicket, while Yadav has not got a game for Kings XI. Bali, an allrounder from Delhi, is not part of the IPL but has played first-class and limited-overs cricket for Himachal Pradesh.

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Rayudu, Harshal Patel fined for spat

 

Ambati Rayudu, the Mumbai Indians batsman, has been fined 100% of his match fee while Harshal Patel, the Royal Challengers Bangalore fast bowler, was docked 25% of his match earnings following a spat between the two after Mumbai Indians' tense win at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday.

Rayudu was punished for using obscene and abusive language towards Harshal immediately after Mumbai Indians hit the winning runs in the final over. Harshal reacted and both players had to be restrained. Harshal was fined for a Level 1 offence, for bringing the game into disrepute.

Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh was also fined for maintaining a slow over-rate. They were found to be one over behind the required rate after allowances were taken into consideration. Harbhajan was fined $20,000 for his offence.

Mumbai Indians in particular have been guilty of a few transgressions this IPL, aside from the latest events. In their match against Deccan Chargers in Visakhapatnam, Munaf Patel and Harbhajan were guilty of showing dissent towards the umpire, after the umpire had initially chosen not to refer an appeal to the third umpire. Munaf was fined 25% of his match fee while Harbhajan was warned.

Munaf was guilty again in the game against Kings XI Punjab in Mumbai. He lost 50% of his match fee after making inappropriate gestures towards the batsman Nitin Saini, who had hit him for two fours.

Rohit Sharma was reprimanded for kicking the stumps after his team's nine-wicket loss to Royal Challengers last week at the Wankhede Stadium.

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Mahela guides Delhi into playoffs

 

Mahela Jayawardene's half-century may have been the slowest for Delhi Daredevils this season but it was compiled under trying circumstances and helped his team become the first side to qualify for the playoffs. Jayawardene's composure under pressure ensured that an incisive fast-bowling performance from Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav, which restricted Kings XI Punjab to a middling total, was not in vain. With a place in the top four secure, Daredevils need to win only one of their last two games to secure No. 1 position.

Kings XI, on the other hand, needed victory tonight and in their remaining two games to be assured of a playoff spot. They cannot afford another defeat and will have to depend on net run-rate and on a permutation of results in other matches to qualify. Kings XI had persevered to make a below-par total competitive in their first clash against Daredevils - this season's 64th game - but did not have enough runs in the end.

Daredevils unleashed their quick bowlers, supported by a crack fielding unit, and a steady fall of wickets ensued after Kings XI chose to bat. They had made a brisk start but Aaron ended that with his first ball: Shaun Marsh caught glancing down the leg side. In his second over, Aaron had the free-swinging Mandeep Singh pulling to midwicket, where Virender Sehwag dived forward to take a low catch.

Kings XI were progressing well, though, and reached 50 for 2 in 6.2 overs. Yadav was the fifth bowler introduced, in the eighth over, and struck with his second ball. Nitin Saini drove loosely at a fast outswinger and Sehwag was stooping at first slip to catch the edge. After David Miller was run out by a direct hit from Pawan Negi at mid-on, Azhar Mahmood, the last of Kings XI's proper batsmen, was in as early as the 10th over. He stayed only until the 12th, when he hoisted Yadav towards long-off, where Irfan Pathan back-pedalled and caught the ball over his right shoulder on the edge of the boundary.

Kings XI were eventually in danger of being dismissed and David Hussey, who had been crying out for a reliable partner in vain, had to play within himself. He even turned down singles in the final two overs and dragged his team 136 for 8.

Hussey, however, had one really quick bowler in his attack too and Parvinder Awana rattled the Daredevils top order. He cut one delivery into Virender Sehwag and bowled him off the pad; he straightened two balls just outside off and induced edges from Venugopal Rao and Ross Taylor in the sixth over. In wretched form already, Taylor was recalled for this game in Roelof van der Merwe's spot but was out for a duck. Daredevils were 37 for 4. Awana's fellow seamers, Praveen Kumar and Azhar Mahmood, were economical too and Daredevils were only 42 after eight overs.

At this stage of Kings XI's innings, Sehwag had already used five bowlers. Hussey had used only three and had to bring in his fourth sooner rather than later. He gave Piyush Chawla the ninth over and watched Jayawardene cut the second ball for Daredevils' first boundary since the fourth over. Two balls later, Ojha stepped out and lofted the legspinner towards the straight boundary. The tide had begun to turn.

Daredevils needed 82 off 60 balls and Ojha continued to target Chawla, charging the bowler to loft consecutive straight sixes in the 11th over. Chawla also dropped a straightforward chance off Ojha at long-on, off Mahmood in the 13th over. Hussey, however, continued to persist with him and chose not to bowl himself.

There was irony as well. Chawla, who went for 33 in three overs, finished his spell with a maiden, while Awana, who had figures of 3-0-8-3, went for 14 in his last, the over that ended the game as a contest. Irfan Pathan played the shots, while Jayawardene watched in satisfaction, having been the glue that held Daredevils together.

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Slowly but surely for Sammy West Indies captain

West Indies captain says his side have competed against India and Australia and now need to start winning

They may be missing several of their leading players, have been beaten in the warm-up game, written-off in the media and up against the No. 1 rated Test team, but West Indies captain Darren Sammy has warned England not to underestimate his side's chance ahead of the Test series beginning at Lord's on Thursday.

West Indies' Test record in recent years is grim. They have won only one of their previous 10 series - and that was against Bangladesh - and only two of their last 24 series stretching back to 2004. Indeed, since December 2003, West Indies have played 80 Tests, won just eight - including two against Bangladesh - and lost 45. It is not a record that inspires confidence.

But Sammy believes his side is progressing. While he accepts the results do not show it, he insists there have been encouraging signs in recent Test series. Notably, West Indies pushed India hard in Delhi before collapsing against Ravi Ashwin in their second innings and succumbing to a five-wicket loss. Similarly, they came to close to upsetting Australia in Bridgetown, only for another second innings batting collapse to eventually sentence them to a three-wicket defeat.

"The only thing that has not been happening is the victories," Sammy told ESPNcricinfo. "We've been playing good, competitive cricket against strong sides like India and Australia and all our Tests have been going five days and down to the wire. Not many teams go to India and give India a run for their money, but we did that.

"Coming from where we are right now, we are not going to start winning straight away. We are taking baby steps to the ultimate goal. We are playing well and dominating teams throughout matches.

"The problem is that we keep losing key moments in matches. One bad session keeps costing us. Champion teams seize the moment but we keep having a bad session where we might lose five wickets in an hour. We just need to cut that out. Once we eliminate those bad sessions then we'll make progress."

Sammy also reminded England that the sides did not have to look back very far to the last team his side caused an upset. A young West Indies squad travelled to England to play two T20 internationals last September and, having lost the first game by 10 wickets, they hit back with a 25-run win to square the series. West Indies also won the last Test series between the sides in the Caribbean.

"We were a very inexperienced team in September," Sammy said. "People said we were just on our way to Bangladesh, but we beat England.

"Every team that comes here, the media try and bring them down for England. So we know what to expect. We have to handle the distractions - be they the weather or the press - and concentrate on doing our best on the pitch. People don't expect much from us, but we know that once we play to our potential we can compete very hard against England. If we can put runs on the board, we back our bowlers to take 20 wickets against England."

If West Indies are to do that, it is crucial that they have their best attack available to them. As things stand there are slight injury doubts hanging against all three of their leading seamers - Kemar Roach (foot), Ravi Rampaul (neck) and Fidel Edwards (back) - though it looks as if all three should be fine. As Roach, who is eagerly anticipating his first Tests at Lord's put it: "Everyone wants to be here; there's nothing going to stop me playing."

Sammy also said his entire side had been inspired by the documentary Fire in Babylon, which tells the story of West Indies' domination of Test cricket in the 1970s and 80s. He drew parallels in the challenges facing his team and West Indies team of the early 70s.

"Fire in Babylon is my inspiration," Sammy said. "I have watched it many times. I knew our history - but to see it again, to hear the passion in the voices of the players - it's got to make you think about how important what we do is to the people of the Caribbean.

"All of the guys have seen it and been inspired. The guys are aware of how important West Indies cricket is to the fans. They appreciate the history and they carry the legacy. Some never knew about it - they knew the team had been great - but they didn't understand what previous teams had gone through and what they had to endure. They didn't understand about the challenges they had to rise above.

"We have different challenges now. We dominated the world for 17 years and conquered all teams. People got used to success. A lot is expected of all West Indies teams since then. It could be a burden - every fast bowler is compared to Ambrose or Walsh and every batsman is compared to Greenidge or Lara - but I prefer to see it as an inspiration. That's the path we have to follow.

"Everyone in the Caribbean wants West Indies to do well. When we are playing well our brand of cricket is very entertaining. The turnout from the public in our last series - in Tests and ODIs and T20s - we've not seen that sort of support for our team in a long while. The reason is that they see the team competing. We're not winning, but we're playing with passion and if we do that, the victories should be just around the corner. We're fighting, we're showing passion: we understand what we have to do

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Last-ball six keeps Chennai alive

Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings, IPL

With Chennai Super Kings needing five runs to win off the final delivery, Rajat Bhatia, who had bowled MS Dhoni and conceded only four from the previous five balls, bowled a full toss. Dwayne Bravo, who had missed a heave off the fifth ball, heaved again, and this time he hit the ball high into the night sky. Kolkata Knight Riders' captain Gautam Gambhir, fielding in the circle, kept his eyes fixed on the ball as it began its descent, and grimaced as he watched it fall agonisingly out of reach of his fielder at long-on, and just over the boundary. The Super Kings were out of the dug out, craning their necks to see where the ball landed, and once they saw it was a match-winning six, there were several streaks of yellow speeding to embrace Bravo. He was standing there with arms aloft, having taken Super Kings to No. 4 with only one league game remaining.

Had the match been tied, it would have been less of a surprise, for Super Kings' chase had followed a pattern eerily similar to Knight Riders' first innings.

In pursuit of 159, Michael Hussey and M Vijay added 97 runs in 10.1 overs before Sunil Narine, who continued to confound batsmen with his variations during his spell of 4-0-14-2, dismissed both of them in the space of three balls. Hussey had demonstrated impeccable timing on a pitch that demanded application, hitting four sixes in a half-century that threatened to make short work of the chase, before he top-edged a sweep. Vijay was bowled trying to cut a straight one.

When Knight Riders had been sent in after losing the toss, Gambhir and Brendon McCullum had set off at breakneck speed, adding 99 in 11.2 overs before they were dismissed in the space of five deliveries. Gambhir scored his sixth half-century of the season and took charge of accelerating his team's innings while McCullum played second fiddle, relatively speaking. They were setting Knight Riders for a formidable total when McCullum was run-out and Gambhir was bowled after the ball came off his inside-edge and pad, gone for 62 off 43 balls.

With the Knight Riders openers gone and two new batsmen at the crease, Super Kings began to drag the run-rate back, by striking regularly. The hosts slipped from 99 for 0 to 128 for 5. Jacques Kallis was unlucky to be given caught behind while sweeping, because the ball came off the arm, and Yusuf Pathan hit his customary solitary six before holing out to Bravo on the long-on boundary. Bravo caught Manoj Tiwary there soon after and Knight Riders were eventually kept to 158.

Super Kings went down the same path. After the Hussey-Vijay stand, they were slowed down and then lost Suresh Raina to a run out in the 14th over. MS Dhoni played out four consecutive dot balls against L Balaji as the gap between runs required and balls remaining began to grow. Balaji conceded two runs off the 14th over, and Bhatia five in the next. Super Kings now needed 44 off 30 balls.

After the 17th over of the first innings, Knight Riders had been 127 for 4. After the 17th over of the chase, Super Kings were 127 for 3. They lost Faf du Plessis to the first ball of the 18th. With 27 needed off the last two overs, Dhoni changed the course of the chase. He nearly beheaded Marchant de Lange, such was the ferocity with which he clubbed the first ball to the straight boundary. The next was a full toss that disappeared through deep midwicket and the third was a towering six over long-on.

Super Kings were favourites, needing only nine to get off the final over, but Dhoni was bowled off its second ball, missing Bhatia's slower ball. Bhatia went on to bowl three more exceptional deliveries, but his last was the full toss that allowed Super Kings to move to No. 4 in the league.

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Bangalore Mumbai steal final-over win, again

Bangalore v Mumbai, IPL 2012

A match that had all sorts of drama - delays due to rain, a floodlight failure, an unbelievable four free-hits in a row, a hit-wicket, and Munaf Patel being caned for 24 in the final over of the first innings by 21-year-old Mayank Agarwal - ended on a familiar note: Mumbai Indians' batsmen completing an improbable chase in the last over, and Bangalore Royal Challengers' fifth bowler costing them again (3.4-0-58-0).

Both teams' top orders have some of the leading lights of the world game, but most of them failed to make an impact, leaving it to batsmen lower down to make an impact. Agarwal slammed a 30-ball 61, his first IPL half-century, to rescue Royal Challengers, but Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard blasted fifties of their own to take Mumbai Indians at least temporarily to second spot in the table.

The match highlighted some other customary themes: Indian bowlers unable to land their yorkers at the death, underlining concerns over the make-up of their World Twenty20 attack, and batsmen refusing to give up even when the asking-rate reached ridiculous levels.

When Pollard walked to the middle in the ninth over, Mumbai Indians had already lost half their side, the required-rate was soaring towards 12, and Royal Challengers were so assured of their position that Muttiah Muralitharan briefly operated with the unusual Twenty20 luxury of three close-in catchers.

Pollard showed the game was by no means over, by calmly lofting KP Appanna for consecutive sixes in the 11th over. With Appanna proving expensive, Royal Challengers turned to Chris Gayle's bowling but Rayudu muscled a four and six to keep Mumbai Indians believing.

Mumbai Indians' desperation to win was shown by the perfect full-length dive Pollard put in in the next over to beat the throw from the deep by inches. Murali was proving unhittable, and the batsmen watchfully played out his overs, and ransacked the rest.

With four overs to go, Mumbai Indians still needed to get 57. Royal Challengers' bowling has been dismal all season, and towards the end of the game they reverted to form. Zaheer Khan was hammered over midwicket for six, and then crashed past long-off. Vinay Kumar's next over was bookended by yorkers, but in between he offered three hit-me deliveries that Rayudu blasted for two sixes and a four. Zaheer was better in the penultimate over, though his one full toss was edged to third man for four.

With the main bowlers having finished their quota, Royal Challengers needed Gayle to win them the match with the ball this time, having 14 to defend. Gayle looked to fire everything flat and fast into the pads but Pollard effortlessly launched the second ball for six over midwicket, before a streaky four past third man and an almighty pull over midwicket took Mumbai Indians home with two deliveries to spare.

The hitting at the end overshadowed another top-order failure from Mumbai. Sachin Tendulkar's troubles continued, Herschelle Gibbs flopped and Rohit Sharma was caught and bowled for 5.

There had been a similar collapse from Royal Challengers early on: Gayle had a rare failure, Virat Kohli was run out after Gibbs proved he's an acrobatic fielder even at the age of 38, Saurabh Tiwary showed glimpses of form before treading onto the middle stump after tucking the ball to the leg side, and even AB de Villiers, for once, didn't fire.

Tillakaratne Dilshan hung around but wasn't at his most fluent, trying to hammer every delivery and succeeding rarely. It was left to Agarwal to lift Royal Challengers with an innings filled with eye-catching lofted off-side strokes. With two overs to go, at 134 for 6, they would have settled for 150, but Agarwal closed off the innings with a sequence of 4, 6, 1 (to retain strike), 6, 4, 4, 2, 6, 2.

It wasn't enough, though, as Mumbai Indians completed their fourth final-over chase of the season, snapping Royal Challengers three-game winning run.

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Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Ayub keen to impress

Faisal Iqbal, a middle-order batsman who is set to make his third comeback to the Pakistan team when they tour Sri Lanka this summer, is eager to cement his place in the Test side once and for all this time. Meanwhile Mohammad Ayub, who is set to debut on the same tour, is wary of the 'tight competition' in Pakistan's middle order.

Iqbal has played 26 Tests across the past decade, the last of which was in January 2010 and, he said, it took mental discipline to keep him going. "I have been surviving only because of my mental toughness," Iqbal told ESPNcricinfo. "In the past I have been playing mainly as a replacement player [in the national team], which is why I wasn't able to cement a permanent place. But now I think I can make it."

This recall has been triggered by Iqbal's steady performance in the Quaid-e-Azam 2011-12 season, where he averaged 46.87. He also scored two hundreds in the two games he played for Sind in the Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup, aggregating 263 runs at an average of 87.66 in the tournament.

"The last two years have been tough but I kept my fingers crossed and was optimistic, believing that Pakistan's doors are never shut on any active player," Iqbal said. "I kept my fitness levels high, never experimented with my position and scored all the runs as a specialist middle-order batsman."

Being the nephew of former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad only added to the pressure on him, Iqbal said, insisting that he didn't take any shortcuts as a result of this connection. "Being a nephew of Miandad, you [journalists] knew very well how my cricket suffered. It's very tough to cope with such pressure.

"I was a soft target for many and my selection was criticised on grounds of nepotism though my performance was a convincing one. All these things were setbacks to my career but at the same time I was getting mentally strong."

Ayub, 32, has been close to national selection for several years, having been among the top performers on the domestic circuit and having scored heavily since 2009. He was in contention even before the series against England in the UAE earlier this year.

"My performance was satisfactory for the last few years but being selected for national side wasn't in my control," Ayub told ESPNcricinfo. "Though my call-up to the national squad is a bit late, I think the chance being offered to me is fair enough and I am happy. I have been disappointed before and was hurt too each time I was snubbed, but remained optimistic that I will be rewarded for my hard work."

"The process of learning has never stopped. My cricket has matured, the key to my success is the experience I have got from playing an ample amount of first-class cricket."

Ayub understands that the Pakistan Test team is currently in good shape and he doesn't have too much time to establish himself. "Expectations are high and the competition is tight, but have faced a similar situation for many years. You have competition at every level. I have worked very hard and I deserved this chance, and I will live up to the expectations."

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Sri Lanka Premier League set for August this year

 

Sri Lanka Cricket has signed a new deal with Somerset Entertainment Ventures to hold the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) in 2012, ESPNcricinfo has learned. The deal was signed on May 5 and the tournament has been tentatively scheduled to be held between August 10 and August 31, just ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 that will be held in Sri Lanka in September.

The SLPL was supposed to kick off last year, with SLC's then interim committee signing a five-year deal with Somerset Entertainment Ventures to organise the event. However, the Sri Lankan board was forced to postpone the tournament after the BCCI refused to allow its players to participate at the last minute, causing a delay in the naming of the final composition of the teams and affecting overall preparations for the event. In addition, the interim committee that signed the deal was subsequently replaced and there was criticism of some of the clauses in the contract by the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).

A new set of administrators were elected in January and they have been negotiating with Somerset Entertainment Ventures to resolve their differences. The new deal has addressed the concerns raised by the COPE report and has been cleared by the office of the Sri Lankan attorney general, ESPNcricinfo understands.

The format of the tournament remains the same. SLPL will have seven teams that will play each other in a league format followed by semi-finals and finals. The games will most likely be played in Colombo and Kandy. Last year's event was scheduled to kick off on July 19, 2011, with the final to be played on August 6. The tournament hit its first hurdle when the BCCI decided to withhold its permission to allow Indian players to take part on the grounds that Somerset Entertainment Ventures, which owned the commercial rights, would be handling the contracts for international players and that it could lead to complications, should disputes arise over payments.

In order to assuage the Indian board, SLC was willing to back the Indian players' contracts so that their financial interests were protected, but that was not enough to satisfy the BCCI. There were also suggestions that former IPL chairman Lalit Modi had a hand in the event, but SLC and Somerset Entertainment Ventures repeatedly denied them, as did Modi.

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Punjab keep pace with last-ball victory

 

For the second match in a day, the hero was a cricketer who was a complete unknown, playing his second game of the tournament. In the afternoon, Rajasthan Royals' offspinner Ajit Chandila took the first hat-trick of the season and the wind out of Pune Warriors' chase and in the second game, it was 21-year-old Gurkeerat Singh who handed Deccan Chargers their fifth last-over defeat of the season with an ice-cool display of hitting.

Chargers seemed to have the game in control for much of the time. First, their two most consistent batsmen, Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White, added to their rapidly growing collection of half-centuries this season to lift Chargers to their second highest total of 2012. And soon after Azhar Mahmood was dismissed in the 13th over of the chase, the asking-rate was rocketing past 13, with David Hussey as the only recognised batsman remaining. Still, as they have so often this season, Chargers managed to make a hash of it, and end up on the losing side.

The first signs of trouble for Chargers came in the 15th over from Amit Mishra, when Hussey hammered a couple of leg-side sixes as Kings XI looted 21 off it. Madhya Pradesh seamer TP Sudhindra then seemed to have pulled things back with a yorker-filled over that went only for five in the first five deliveries, but he missed his length off the final ball and Hussey promptly dispatched it for a straight six.

Fifty needed off four overs and time for Chargers to turn to their most potent weapon, Dale Steyn. He delivered with two wickets in his comeback over, though Piyush Chawla got a couple of audacious boundaries off it. When Hussey muscled a slower one from Daniel Christian for six early in the 18th over, everyone thought the outcome of the game would depend on Hussey. Instead, there were no more boundaries from Hussey and most of the runs came from Gurkeerat.

First, Christian was drilled down the ground for four and then a fearless attempt to paddle a ball from outside off resulted in a streaky four off the thigh pad. Steyn has combusted on a couple of occasions at the death this season, and has been unhittable on others. This time he was back at his best-bowler-in-the-world mode, conceding just four singles off the first five balls, though the pressure on him was evident from the expletive-infused outburst at a fielder for shying at the stumps. The last ball of the over was a low full toss that Gurkeerat somehow squeezed behind point for a boundary, making it 16 required off the final over.

With Christian and Steyn having bowled out, Kumar Sangakkara had to choose between legspinner Mishra and quick bowler Manpreet Gony, and he picked Gony. Chargers' fielding seemed to have cost them on the first ball when a fumble allowed Hussey to return for two and retain the strike, but Hussey could only take a single off the next.

Gurkeerat was unfazed by the task at hand, clubbing the next ball over midwicket for six before placing the fourth delivery to the sweeper cover boundary. Two more were taken off the penultimate delivery, levelling the scores. Sangakkara brought in all his fielders, but Gony opted to go with the bouncer, which was probably the wrong option as Hussey could have scampered a bye even if Gurkeerat missed. Gurkeerat didn't though, getting an edge as he pulled it to the fine leg boundary to deliver victory that tightens the table - the top seven teams are only four points apart.

The late heroics were needed as Christian had taken two early wickets, including the crucial one of Shaun Marsh, to stall the chase. Mahmood then helped Kings XI gain ground with a quick 31, then the baton was taken by Hussey who speeded up the innings further before Gurkeerat provided the final burst.

Earlier - considering the three tough games remaining for them - Kings XI seemed to have blown their chances with an amateurish effort in the field. Two simple catches offered by White were put down and there were numerous fumbles as Chargers built up a big score.

Parthiv Patel featured in a brisk opening stand and Christian showed off his hitting skills at the death, but the innings revolved around a 96-run stand between Dhawan and White. The pair set a scorching pace, scoring at nearly 10 an over, and despite another underwhelming performance from Sangakkara, Chargers put up what looked like a winning score. Once again, though, repeating a familiar story from their season, they managed to go down despite controlling a big chunk of the match.

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CLT20 set to have team from Pakistan

The Champions League Twenty20 is set to have a team from Pakistan for the first time. The BCCI has said it will recommend to the tournament's governing council, which is scheduled to meet on May 28, that it had no objection to a team from Pakistan participating.

The decision was taken at the BCCI's working committee meeting in Chennai today, where it was also decided to distribute approx $13m to ex-Indian players, set up a BCCI anti-corruption unit, and set up matches between IPL teams and Associate/Affiliate countries.

Srinivasan said the matter of Pakistan's participation in the CLT20 had already come up in the tournament's governing council. "The Working Committee has decided to invite a team from Pakistan to play in Champions League Twenty20 to be held in October," Srinivasan said after the working committee meeting. "CLT20 is owned by BCCI, Cricket Australia, and Cricket South Africa. So we will recommend to the Governing Council that the BCCI has no objection and is prepared to invite a Pakistan team in the Champions League.

"CLT20 will be played in India. As far as inviting a Pakistani team is concerned, it will be done by the Governing Council. The BCCI will make the recommendation to the Governing Council which will decide on the matter. This matter came up in the Governing Council of the Champions League. There was discussion around the composition of the tournament this year and on the number of teams and who will be invited. A feeling was expressed that a team from Pakistan could be invited."

The PCB had been pushing for the inclusion of sides from Pakistan, the only major Test-playing nation to not have had teams in either the qualifiers or the main round of the tournament since its inception in 2009.

Rajiv Shukla, the BCCI vice-president and a minister in the Indian federal government, said there was no interference or green signal from the government. "Though PCB were asking us from the last three years, we did not consider that," Shukla said. "But now we felt it was good time to invite them and have acceded to the PCB request."

It is understood that it was Srinivasan who proposed the matter during the discussion. Everyone felt that the political climate was conducive for a team from Pakistan to come and play and the working committee members accepted the proposal unanimously.

The Champions League is played between domestic T20 winners from various countries. Sialkot Stallions are the current Pakistan domestic T20 champions. The Sialkot Regional Cricket Association had requested the PCB last month to make efforts to enable the participation of Sialkot in the Champions League. The PCB, in turn, had said that Sialkot's participation was dependent on the restoration of bilateral ties between India and Pakistan.

Sialkot were invited to the inaugural edition of the tournament towards the end of 2008, but it was postponed after the terror attacks in Mumbai in November that year. The fall-out of those attacks strained the political relationship between India and Pakistan, and consequently, the cricketing one between the BCCI and the PCB.

Pakistan players are currently excluded from the Indian Premier League as well. Shukla, also the IPL chairman, had said last month that their participation was also dependent on the resumption of India-Pakistan cricket ties.

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Chennai Super Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by 4 wickets in an important Indian Premier League (IPL) match

 
JAIPUR: Chennai Super Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by 4 wickets in an important Indian Premier League (IPL) match played here at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Thursday.
Chasing 127-run target, Chennai lost wickets at regular intervals and looked in trouble before Anirudha Srikkanth (18 not out) and Albie Morkel (18 not out) changed the gear for the visitors.
Both the batsmen smashed two sixes and a four each and played identical six deliveries as the duo helped the defending champions achieved the modest target with 11 balls to spare.

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