Shah Rukh Khan gets five-year ban from Wankhede

 

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has banned Shah Rukh Khan, the Kolkata Knight Riders owner, from entering Wankhede Stadium for five years as a result of his scuffle with security guards after the game between Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians on May 16. The IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, however, said the ban was not final until the BCCI had its say on the matter.

"The MCA managing committee is forced to ban Shah Rukh Khan from entering Wankhede Stadium for a period of five years," Vilasrao Deshmukh, the MCA president, said in Mumbai. "It was a unanimous decision. It applies to any match whether domestic or international at the Wankhede. We have taken a decision to protect the dignity of our association. BCCI is our parent body and we have written to them informing what had happened. We have no control over BCCI's decision. We are also an independent body with the Wankhede being our property.

"If rules are violated, action will be taken. It does not depend who the individual is. It's a message to everyone, whosoever he or she may be, that stern action will be taken if there is any misbehavior. How can he go inside the ground without proper accreditation? Even I can't go inside the ground if not invited for presentation ceremony."

Shukla said only the Indian board could make the final decision. "State bodies can only recommend but a final decision has to be taken by the BCCI. When the matter comes to BCCI, the board will decide [on the ban]."

The incident took place after Knight Riders had beaten Mumbai Indians. Shah Rukh was accused of trying to walk on to the field of play after the game and MCA officials lodged a complaint against him the Marine Drive police station. They also said he had been drunk and abused officials.

Shah Rukh, however, denied being drunk and 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. Shah Rukh said he saw security guards manhandling the children and when he objected a group of officials came over and the altercation started.

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IPL 2012 Points Table

Teams	Mat	Won	Lost	Tied	N/R	Pts	Net RR
Daredevils	15	10	5	0	0	20	+0.599
KKR	15	9	5	0	1	19	+0.478
Mum Indians	15	9	6	0	0	18	-0.160
Super Kings	16	8	7	0	1	17	+0.100
RCB	15	8	6	0	1	17	+0.010
Kings XI	15	8	7	0	0	16	-0.172
Royals	14	7	7	0	0	14	+0.335
Warriors	15	4	11	0	0	8	-0.477
Chargers	14	2	11	0	1	5	-0.680

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Broad completes career-best haul

 

England's allrounder Stuart Broad claimed his Test-best figures of 7 for 72 as it took only one ball for the home side to wrap up West Indies first innings on the second morning at Lord's.

The West Indies resumed on 243 for 9 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 87 not out overnight, hoping that the last man Shannon Gabriel would hang around long enough for him to reach his 26th Test century. But Gabriel, on debut, lasted only one ball, as Broad immediately found a perfect line around off stump and Gabriel edged to Graeme Swann at second slip.

It meant Broad will be on a hat-trick when he bowls for a second time in the match and his figures were the best by an England bowler since James Anderson took 7 for 43 against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 2008.

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Kenya matches postponed due to security fears

The ICC has confirmed that next month's matches between Kenya and Namibia in Nairobi have been postponed until September 2012 due to security concerns.

Nairobi Gymkhana was to host the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match between the two sides from June 6, followed by two 50-over ICC World Cricket League Championship matches on June 11 and 13.

The ICC considered holding the match at an alternate venue but decided against it due to logistical difficulties. The final dates and venue are yet to be announced.

There have been no international matches in Kenya since Ireland's tour in February.

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Vusi Sibanda makes a comeback in Zimbabwe squad

 

Vusi Sibanda has made a return to Zimbabwe's national squad and was included in the 24-man training group to play South Africa in five Twenty20 matches in June. Sibanda was not considered for Zimbabwe's January tour of New Zealand after he chose to play grade cricket in Australia instead of fulfilling domestic commitments in Zimbabwe.

Although Sibanda returned home after a five-week stint for Eastern Suburbs in Sydney before the New Zealand tour, Zimbabwe Cricket's (ZC) cricket committee decided not to select him on principle. At the time, Sibanda was told that if he renewed his commitment to ZC, he would be considered again.

Sibanda finished the 2011-12 season with his local franchise, the Mid West Rhinos, for whom he played four first-class and five limited-overs matches, including a 162 against Mountaineers. Zimbabwe do not have any international assignment through the winter, but Sibanda's path back to the national team appears to be clear as he was included in the preliminary squad for the practice matches against South Africa.

"I am very pleased that the issues are done and dusted," Alan Butcher, Zimbabwe coach, told ESPNcricinfo. "Now, Vusi can move forward and put it out of his mind."

The training squad is a strong group, including many of the faces who steered Zimbabwe to a successful Test comeback in August last year. Brendan Taylor will lead the team propped up by the experience of Hamilton Masakadza, Prosper Utseya, Ray Price, Elton Chigumbura and Tatenda Taibu. Experienced seamer Chris Mpofu also makes a comeback after missing the New Zealand series with a lower back injury.

Some of the newer faces include under-19 wicketkeeper batsman Kevin Kasuza and medium-pacer Richard Muzhange. Zimbabwe have packed the training squad with bowlers as seamers Tendai Chatara and Njabula Ncube as well as legspinner Natsai Mushangwe been given the opportunity to work with the national team.

"I am very happy with the group we've got," Butcher said. "We've decided that in T20s, we should try and look more at allrounders for the side." Chigumbura, Waller, Meth and Shingi Masakadza are the four premier allrounders in the squad.

The five matches, which will take place in Harare from June 20-24, have not been given international status because they will take place outside of the FTP. They will also not be broadcast on television, given ZC's financial crunch. South Africa are hoping to use the matches as preparation for the World T20 in September and Butcher said Zimbabwe will do the same. "It gives us a chance to work on a few things and see the make up of the side," he said. "I was quite happy with the way we played T20 cricket in New Zealand and hopefully we can build on that."

Zimbabwe lost all the matches they played on the New Zealand trip, but gave the best account of themselves in the Twenty20s. "It will be good for us to play against another top side and that's exactly what South Africa are," Butcher said. "We've got a great bunch of guys who have been working hard so we're excited about what's to come." 

Zimbabwe squad: Brendan Taylor (capt), Tatenda Taibu, Elton Chigumbura, Malcolm Waller, Charles Coventry, Forster Mutizwa, Graeme Cremer, Raymond Price, Tendai Chatara, Prosper Utseya, Kyle Jarvis, Chris Mpofu, Brian Vitori, Keegan Meth, Njabulo Ncube, Kevin Kasuza, Chamu Chibhabha, , Hamilton Masakadza, Shingi Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Richard Muzhange, Vusi Sibanda, Craig Ervine

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Ajantha Mendis named in Sri Lanka provisional squad

Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis and fast bowler Dilhara Fernando have been named in the 30-man provisional squad for the upcoming tours by Pakistan and India. The squad has no new faces.

Mendis and Fernando last played for Sri Lanka during the tour of South Africa last year. Mendis, who suffered a back injury, hasn't played a competitive match since January. Nuwan Pradeep, the fast bowler, is also returning from injury. Pradeep suffered a hamstring tear in the tour match against the South African Invitation XI in Benoni and had to return home. He has since played just one first-class match for Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, picking up four wickets.

Another notable inclusion is the legspinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi, who last played for Sri Lanka in 2007.

Pakistan arrive at the end of this month for a series of two T20Is, five ODIs and three Tests in June-July. India are expected to play a shorter series, comprising five ODIs and one T20, starting July 22

Sri Lanka provisional squad

• Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Tharanga Paranavitana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Upul Tharanga, Dinesh Chandimal, Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chanaka Welegedera, Suranga Lakmal, Dhammika Prasad, Shaminda Eranga, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Sachitra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Kaushal Lokuarachchi

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Lorgat eyes top CSA role

 

Haroon Lorgat, outgoing chief executive of the ICC, has confirmed he would be open to an offer from CSA subject to a complete restructure of the board. The organisation may soon have to search for a new boss following the suspension of Gerald Majola in March and Lorgat, along with current acting CEO Jacques Faul, are among the top candidates.

Majola's suspension after ministerial inquiry chaired by judge Chris Nicholson found that he had breached the Companies' Act when R4.7 million (US $ 671, 428) was paid to staff in bonuses following the successful hosting of the IPL. Nicholson found that CSA lacked sufficient corporate governance and recommended a complete overhaul of the composition of the CSA board, something Lorgat sees as crucial to whether he will consider a role at CSA.

"I thought I would initially take some time out from cricket after leaving the ICC but I have been heartened by the early progress I see at CSA," Lorgat told ESPNcricinfo. "With their Board now committed to restructure, I would be happy to consider a formal approach."

Nicholson studied the Woolf report and Australia's Crawford and Carter report to learn about the latest governance issues in sport. The central tenet he took from both was the principle of independent directorship. "Both [reports] are emphatic that the role of the independent directors is crucial in areas of high risk to the ethics and governance of the game," Nicholson's report read. "Similar sentiments are applicable to CSA."

Lorgat was in charge of the ICC when the Woolf report was compiled and is in favour of greater independence at board level. "With the huge growth experienced in all sports over the last decade and the potential for much more, it is imperative that sports governance models keep pace with the expectations of all stakeholders," he said. "The playing and commercial aspects of the game have transformed enormously but sadly the same cannot be said about the governance and administration standards."

CSA's board comprises 22 members, 11 of whom are the presidents of the provincial affiliates. A further three are black African representatives while the eight others are directors, four of whom are independent. Nicholson recommended a smaller board with more outsiders. The Woolf report suggested a 14-member board for the ICC while Crawford and Carter said Cricket Australia's Board should have a maximum of nine non-executive directors. "A larger board according to them wastes time with procedure, inhibits proper discussion and allows individual directors to shirk their responsibilities without being noticed," Nicholson said.

Nicholson said the advantages of using "outsiders" instead of people who become administrators through the cricketing ranks (starting from club level) will benefit a professional body like CSA. "Lord Woolf and Crawford and Carter emphasise the importance of the Board consisting of competent persons with skills that can contribute to the overall vision of cricket," he said. "They suggest that an analysis of cricket administrations round the world might suggest a predominance of ex-players, accountants or some other category with an insufficient mix of expertise to guide the complex business of cricket administration."

The recommendation for CSA was to form a 12-member board with nine independent directors. "The advantages include a disinclination to favour any province out of proportion to its deserts and a tendency to advance a more national perspective," Nicolson said. The recommendation also included a clause that for a director to be appointed, voted off or any major cricketing decision to be taken at least two-thirds of the provincial affiliates should be in favour.

In accepting the recommendations of the Nicholson report, CSA agreed, in principle, to restructure its board. An eight-person steering committee, consisting of four current board members and four people who have had previous experience in cricket, was named in March to discuss the restructure, which is expected to take place at the next AGM in September. If a new CEO is to be appointed, it would also happen in September, even though Majola's disciplinary hearing is scheduled to be complete by May 31.

The current board have held on to their positions after their most recent meeting with the country's sports minister, Fikile Mbalula, on April 26, despite speculation they may have been asked to resign en masse. Mbalula said he was impressed that they had shown commitment to the Nicholson report's recommendations and had taken steps, such as putting together the steering committee and launching a transformation fund for development, to implement Nicholson's recommendation

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Multiple coaches a possibility for New Zealand - White

 

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White has said that the possibility of multiple coaches for the national team, for the game's different formats, is being looked into. This, he said, could be an option to help New Zealand get through a hectic international schedule more effectively.

"Whilst the team is touring and playing one form of the game, you must ensure other specialists are preparing [for other assignments] as well. South Africa do that, England do that and it is something we need to look at," White told the New Zealand Herald.

The demanding nature of the Future Tours Programme until 2020, he said, meant that the workload of support staff needed to be considered before making any decision. Apart from the tour of the West Indies, in the coming year New Zealand have tours of India, Sri Lanka and South Africa, the World Twenty20, back-to-back series with England, home and away, and then the Champions Trophy.

"It's tough enough for the players, but for the coaches and support staff it is tremendously challenging for them to be away from home, on the road that long, and to have just one role when you've got three distinct forms of the game."

Earlier this week, the current New Zealand coach, John Wright, confirmed that he will not be signing a new contract following the team's tour of the Caribbean. Wright cited differences with New Zealand's director of cricket, John Buchanan, as a factor that influenced his decision not to extend his contract

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McDermott's legacy must be maintained

 

Among the more succinct lines uttered by John Buchanan in his time as Australia's head coach was a stated desire to ultimately make himself redundant. Buchanan argued that if he was doing his job successfully, then the players under him would soon learn to make their own decisions, leaving the coach to concentrate on more strategic matters.

In less than 12 months as Australia's bowling coach, Craig McDermott has gone close to achieving this goal. He adopted a mantra simple enough to be quickly taken in by the bowlers in Australia's pace battery. It read a little something like this: be as fit as you can possibly be, pitch the ball up to allow it to swing, tempt batsmen into driving, and so open up the possibility of catches in the slips, or bowled and LBW dismissals. At the same time McDermott counselled the captain Michael Clarke to not be afraid of a few cover drives whizzing through the field, for in those runs came the promise of wickets should a batsman miscalculate.

Now that McDermott has left the job, far more quickly than many in Cricket Australia would have liked though they understand his family-oriented reasoning, his message is simple enough for it to be carried on by those same bowlers in his absence. Likewise Clarke should not need too many reminders that the drive is far from a dirty word in the field.

McDermott's exit is unfortunately timed in some respects. Most of the other outstanding candidates for such a role are now safely locked away by other national teams, England's David Saker and New Zealand's Damien Wright among them. Allan Donald is at home with South Africa, and another past applicant, Andy Bichel, is happily employed part-time as a selector with little inclination to take on the punishing schedule dictated by the job of bowling mentor.

Of the next tier, Jason Gillespie is in his first season as the coach of Yorkshire, Shane Jurgensen is coaching Bangladesh, and Joe Dawes has gone from Queensland to India via South Australia. Allister de Winter, Tasmania's bowling coach and a rival candidate to McDermott last time, has been promoted in his state to coach the Hurricanes Big Bash League team. Damien Fleming, another with the right kind of experience and approach, has carved out a career juggling media, coaching and all-round joviality that would be somewhat curtailed by full-time touring duty.

Australian newspapers will today carry an advertisement for the position of bowling coach, emphasising the role's importance and the characteristics required by anyone wishing to apply. If there is anything the new man can add to the mix it is a more varied approach to the challenges of bowling in limited-overs matches: McDermott's methods proved to be just the thing Australia needed in Test matches, but in ODIs and Twenty20s a certain inconsistency remains. That task will likely be handled by staff rotated through the Centre of Excellence on Australia's next tour, to Ireland and England for six one-day matches.

The major requirement of McDermott's successor will be to ensure that his predecessor's basic tenets are kept close to the minds and training patterns of the bowlers. Peter Siddle and James Pattinson must be reminded of the success they enjoyed by bowling full and swinging it, Ben Hilfenhaus kept committed to the strong body action and subtle variations at the crease that make his outswinger doubly dangerous, Ryan Harris reminded that it is just fine to be pushed down the ground every now and then. Younger bucks like Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins will need a mentor to take them through the butterflies and doubts of their early steps in the international game, and in this area another coach with a Test match past would help.

McDermott, of course, will not be lost entirely to the Australian set-up. He will still work as a consultant at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, giving him the chance to influence the development of Australia's younger quicks, much as he did before assuming the more senior role. In this he will be able to continue imbuing the young with the same simple lessons he brought with refreshing directness to the national team. Even though McDermott will no longer be able to perch himself watchfully at the long on fence, as he commonly did during the past year, his influence will remain

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Jurgensen named Bangladesh's interim head coach

 

Bangladesh have named Shane Jurgensen - their bowling coach - as their interim head coach. The decision was made at the board's cricket operations committee meeting during which the national team's proposed tours of Zimbabwe and Europe in the next two months and playing a Twenty20 tournament in Trinidad and Tobago later in the year were also discussed.

"Our bowling coach Shane Jurgensen will look after the national team as interim head coach until we appoint our next head coach," Enayet Hossain Siraj, chairman of the cricket operations committee, said.

Jurgensen, 36, a former Queensland fast bowler, joined Bangladesh as their bowling coach in October last year. The Bangladesh Cricket Board, though, hopes Richard Pybus joins the team as the full-time head coach; Pybus returned to Cape Town on Friday after a short visit to Bangladesh. "Now we will wait for his (Richard Pybus) confirmation. We will invite the other candidates in the shortlist, if only we ultimately fail to sign the agreement with Pybus," the BCB media committee chairman Jalal Yunis said.

Pybus said his visit was a "fact-finding" mission and that he will make his final decision after speaking with his family.

The board has also organised a training camp from May 20 to prepare for a tri-series against Zimbabwe and South Africa starting in Harare in late June. At the end of July, Bangladesh are likely to travel to Ireland and Scotland to play some limited-overs matches before to the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September.

"We have also decided to give our proposal regarding the Zimbabwe and Ireland trips to the board for their approval," Siraj said. "We are desperately trying to arrange some international matches for our national team."

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Bangladesh included in Zimbabwe tri-series

 

Bangladesh have been included in a Twenty20 tri-series in Zimbabwe, which will also feature South Africa, in June. Ozias Bvute, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Bangladesh will take part, while the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said they only needed the ratification of their board before regarding the matter as finalised.

"We have put forward such a request [to play in Zimbabwe] and as far as we are concerned, we have received positive feedback. We are awaiting an approval from our board," BCB cricket operations manager, Sabbir Khan said.

The assignment will be Stuart Law's final one in charge of the national team. Law announced his resignation last month but said he would see out his contract, which runs until the end of June. Bangladesh are already in the process of interviewing a replacement, with Richard Pybus considered the frontrunner.

The series will come as welcome relief to Bangladesh who have suffered two setbacks in their quest to play more cricket recently and were not due to play any international matches before the World T20 in September. Their August series against Zimbabwe, which was due to consist of two Test matches, was postponed because of maintenance work in Harare and Bulawayo.

Bangladesh's proposal to Cricket South Africa (CSA) for a limited-overs series in May was turned down. South Africa's busy schedule and the logistical problems in finding a place to host the matches were the chief reasons for CSA declining Bangladesh's offer. CSA did not have a problem with Bangladesh's participation in Zimbabwe in June though, provided it did not alter their initial plans.

"We said we would not have an issue if Bangladesh joins us as long as it does not disrupt our schedule," South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee said. "We cannot spend longer than a week in Zimbabwe because we leave for England after that."

Gary Kirsten, South Africa head coach, requested five Twenty20s in five days against Zimbabwe as part of his preparations for the World T20. South Africa arrive in Zimbabwe on June 18 and are scheduled to play the five fixtures from June 20 to 24. Although, the dates for their trip will not change, itinerary of matches might change to accommodate Bangladesh. "We might have a rest day in between or something like that but as long as we play the number of matches we wanted to, that's fine with us," Moosajee said.

Despite the addition of Bangladesh, the series will remain an unofficial one with the matches classed as practice matches only. It is also unlikely to be televised as per ZC's financial considerations. Bangladesh are likely to head to Europe in July to play five ODIs.

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IPL can't duck the F-word Penalising players is not enough; it's time to pull up and rein in the franchises

On Wednesday night, Lalit Modi complained about how the TV channel that showed the sting operation and put certain information "in the public domain" was "totally misleading". He felt for the viewers, the fans and the sporting fraternity, he said, because the sting had no proof.

Quite the contrary. What India TV's "Operation IPL" proved beyond doubt was that India's young domestic cricketers, those who drift away from centrestage, are quite happy to pocket any extra cash that the delusional or foolish may want to shell out.

If caught they will either be reprimanded - like Ravindra Jadeja or Manish Pandey - or be consigned to the some outer darkness like the suspended five players will possibly be. And that will be that.

What the India TV programme did not prove on camera was that any of the players stung on tape had either willingly accepted cash on camera and then bowled a no-ball, or "spot-fixed" as promised. That is not to say that does not happen - it just didn't show up on tape.

The IPL, set up to imitate the franchise model of American sport, is actually a very cosy family business. The owners are, for the majority, in this largely for individual and corporate mileage. They owe their original loyalty to the BCCI, which continues to play patriarch. It is why they are protected and if players are caught being invited to break rules, they are the ones who get punished. This is not to say that players are poor lambs being seduced by cash but everyone knows the difference between being the guy receiving the pay cheque and the guy actually signing it.

In leagues where rules matter, teams are punished - however powerful they may be. In 2006, Juventus of Turin, historically one of the richest and most powerful football clubs in Europe, were found guilty of rigging games with four other teams and stripped of back-to-back Serie A titles, relegated to Serie B, booted out of the UEFA Champions League and forced to play three home matches without any fans.

The National Rugby League in Australia has fined four teams more than US$165,000 for breaching the salary cap in 2012. A fifth team has just lost an appeal over a US$185,000 salary cap fine from 2010.

Sometimes it's not what the club itself does; earlier this month, football clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan had to pay 20,000 euros and 10,000 euros for insulting banners seen among their fans during a local derby as well as one that racially abused a player.

During a 2011 NFL lockout, three teams including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers received six figure fines - $250,000 was found to be the Buccaneers' fine - for breaking the rule that no players could be contacted during the lockout period. By this yardstick, Mumbai Indians should have been fined along with Jadeja but weren't. Over the last few years the players get flung the rule-books and the franchises offering extra frills are treated with respect.

If Ravi Sawani discovers that the black money being talked of casually by the suspended five was actually paid out, will any of the teams be punished? A sports law expert, Vidushpat Singhania, has said that for any code or investigation to actually matter, it had to be completely spelt out and it needed to have teeth. That is how the partnership between the ICC and Interpol is said to work. It is how the US anti-doping agency was able to ensure that Balco went to court and Marion Jones went to jail. If the BCCI is serious about its anti-corruption code, it must have the government, the cops and the courts on its side. The first problem with this, though, is that the BCCI has long avoided public scrutiny.

Modi, in that interview, spoke warmly of his "close", "great" and "best friends" who had "supported" his league in its early days, buying up franchises, and with whom he said was always "impartial".

Everyone involved with the league knows there are some franchises who can be a bit bendy with the rules because they are allowed to be, and there is another that is not required to bend rules because it cannot be argued with.

	Rules have been changed as the IPL has gone along: without warning, the retention clause was brought in, as opposed to all players going back into a public auction

It is why the addition of two teams in 2010 became so problematic - the new entrants came from outside the circle of friends and the flexibility of the IPL's rules was not about to be explained to them.

Rules have been changed as the IPL has gone along: without warning, the retention clause was brought in, as opposed to all players going back into a public auction. This helped some of the key "icons" stay with teams that could offer them rich pickings.

Then came the "secret" bid to help solve dead-heat tie-breaks during an auction. The most public secret of that new rule was the fact that whoever had the most cash would get the player they wanted and anything beyond $2m would remain unmentioned and be given to the BCCI as a bit of a sweetener.

Franchises will always talk about what it actually costs to get the best domestic talent into their side. There are many stories about offers that players couldn't refuse: extra cash or "jobs" as euphemistic extras, cars, owners criss-crossing the country in chartered planes to speak to the most desirable domestic players …

The Rs 30 lakh salary cap for non-India players began with noble intentions. It was the BCCI's attempt to try to keep domestic cricketers interested in playing all formats, to ensure that Twenty20 cricket does not become what it has - the one form of cricket that every kid wants to play - and the IPL contract the one legal but still flexible document everyone wants to grab.

Now Rs 30 lakhs in India is a more than decent income in itself - and more so for someone in his 20s. It puts the player in the top 1% of the Indian salary bracket, alongside the Ambani brothers, Sonia Gandhi and Shah Rukh Khan. According to the National Council of Applied Economic Research, any household earning an annual income of Rs 12.5 lakh (1% or less than 1% of the population) are India's "affluent or rich."

Yet the figure is a victim of its environment - and of the messages cricketers get. Some franchises are willing to offer more to ensure that they have at least four half-good domestic players once they have filled their quota of four foreigners and local "stars" in the playing XI.

The IPL's ecosystem grumbles that 'market forces' should come into play over salary caps. It will imply that market forces will put in more cash with the overseas buys and less with the Indian players, which would be fine if this were not an event that required teams have seven Indians in their playing XI.

The India TV sting operation will end up being misleading only if the IPL allows it to be. What the sting operation has revealed again is that some of the IPL's most influential stakeholders are willing to go the extra mile to get players they believe they need. The players, who cannot understand what the word 'enough' means, are just willing to bargain long and hard.

If the franchises are not pulled up or reined in, another sting operation in a few years' time will just offer up another round of suspensions.

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No pay for players following Toronto All Star T20

Top international players who participated in an 'All Star Twenty20' event in Toronto last weekend, some of them travelling from as far as South Africa and Sri Lanka, have been left in the lurch over their appearance money and in some cases reimbursement for air travel. Events company Kat Rose, who organised the event, said they incurred substantial losses when six Pakistan players including Shahid Afridi pulled out at the last minute. The company is in contact with their lawyers and accountants to resolve the issue, but has not put a time-frame on when monies will be distributed.

The match, which was played in Toronto on Saturday, was billed as a high-quality encounter between the best Asian and international players in the game, and was marketed primarily with the city's Asian population as the target. It featured several internationals such as Mark Boucher and Sanath Jayasuriya, who were left without their fees.

Boucher told ESPNcricinfo that he has not been paid, but said he "enjoyed the experience of playing in Canada". He added that he had delivered all receipts on monies spent, including an internal flight in Canada, to his agents and they will try to recover the money. Boucher posted a message from Toronto on Twitter which read, "Absolute shambles at the @T20AllStar2012 in Canada. No players been paid. No organisers here to explain! Disgrace for Canadian cricket! So sad!", followed by "doubt any international cricketers will be back here in Canada after this".

mark boucher @markb46

Absolute shambles at @T20AllStar2012 in Canada.no players been paid.no organisers here to explain!disgrace for Canadian cricket!so sad!

14 May 12

Jayasuriya told Canada's CBC news that he has "been playing for the last 20 years and never gone through this kind of thing before", and that he is owed $15,000 for his flights and appearance in the event. And the former Pakistan offspinner Saqlain Mushtaq said those who took part wanted to help the cause of cricket in Canada but needed their basic requirements met. ""The cricketers went to Canada with their best intentions to support the event and we delivered our side of the deal," he told PakPassion. "We flew out there from all parts of the world, played to the best of our ability, so we have done what was required from us. I would urge the organisers to deliver their side of the deal and what was promised to all of the cricketers and pay us our dues."

Herb Choga, president of Kat Rose, denied some of those claims. "There are lot of rumours [around] that are difficult to justify," Choga said. "Everything has happened in such a rush and everything is a bit upside-down." Choga denied that Boucher had to take an internal flight. He also said that Jayasuriya was not owed as much as $15,000, although Choga would not say how much exactly was due to him. Boucher said it was not a "great deal of money, but money is money, after all".

Kat Rose's financial troubles came to a head in the week leading up to the match. The PCB refused to release its star players for the event. "We heard on the Tuesday before the match that the players may not come but, through Cricket Canada, we engaged in further negotiation. We even spoke to the Pakistani consulate in Canada. Up until Thursday we were hopeful that they would be there," Choga said. "When the players pulled out, we were in a very difficult position. We had a totally different concept to what was advertised. We had to refund tickets and investors pulled out. We had a choice of either cancelling the match or continuing."

Choga said he asked the players who had made it to Toronto whether they wanted to go ahead with the game but was upfront with them about the circumstances under which they would be playing. "I made it clear to them what situation we were in," Choga said, referring to the fact that Kat Rose no longer had the money to make payments immediately. "I gave them a choice [whether to play or not] and Brian Lara, for example, said he was not willing to play but he would come to the match." Lara's omission from the International XI was widely questioned on the day, with no explanation offered.

Various Canada players made up the rest of the Asian contingent and the result was a much lower-profile event, played in front of an estimated crowd of 12,000 in the Rogers Centre, which can hold over 50,000. Both Kat Rose and Cricket Canada made a loss and the players involved have not received any remuneration. "We've got our accountants and lawyers involved to see what we can do but nothing is certain right now," Choga said. "We owe banks money and we owe sponsors explanations."

Cricket Canada, meanwhile, has also not been paid its share of the monies either and has expressed regret over the matter. While Choga said Cricket Canada was paid certain instalments in the planning phases, he admitted they were not given any of the ticket proceeds. Doug Hannum, the Cricket Canada chief executive, said they also suffered financially and although they are not directly responsible for player payment, they "will not take a penny until the players have been paid".

Hannum said Cricket Canada had noted a few important lessons from the botched arrangements of the event. "What we have learnt is that is it not easy to host these kinds of events and it requires the co-operation of multiple cricket boards. We will not enter into an agreement like this again unless we are absolutely sure that the people we make the agreement with have made proper arrangements."

Still, Hannum believes the match was "a great success and quite well attended given the circumstances". He acknowledged that Cricket Canada's reputation would have suffered as a result of the failed organisation. "It doesn't help our cause at all and it will make it more challenging for us to try and hosts events like this in future," he said.

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Gayle ton delivers crucial win for Bangalore

 

Royal Challengers Bangalore needed to win at the Kotla, to draw level with Chennai Super Kings on 17 points, to move one ahead of Kings XI Punjab, and to pull further away from Rajasthan Royals, their closest competitors. Defeat against league leaders Delhi Daredevils, who had already secured a playoff spot, would have been debilitating to their campaign. So the time and place Chris Gayle chose to score his season's first century - 128 off 62 balls with 13 sixes - was perfect. He and Virat Kohli took 204 runs, the second best Twenty20 partnership, off a Morne Morkel-less attack to lead Royal Challengers to the highest total of 2012, one that was ultimately a match-winning one.

In the end, Royal Challengers were glad Gayle and Kohli gave them 215, because their profligate bowlers needed that many. Daredevils were without Virender Sehwag, who was unwell, but their batsmen were aggressive from the outset and sustained the attack for a considerable period. Several batsmen made small but explosive contributions but it was Ross Taylor, the one Daredevils wanted desperately to find form, who led the chase. His 55, scored at a strike-rate 211, kept the home side abreast with the asking-rate. Taylor, however, was dismissed in the 17th over. Gayle had stayed for all 20, and that made the difference.

Believe it or not, Gayle had started slowly. He played out a maiden against Umesh Yadav, was scoreless for eight consecutive balls, and was one off nine deliveries. He let Kohli provide the initial propulsion after Tillakaratne Dilshan fell early. Royal Challengers were only 42 for 1 after six overs, when the fielding restrictions were lifted. Gayle had hit no sixes by then. At the end of the ninth over, both Gayle and Kohli were on 27, off 25 and 23 balls respectively. Kohli had been far more fluent than his partner, with his flicks through midwicket and drives off the back foot. Gayle was biding his time.

In the 13th over Gayle decided it was time, heaving left-arm spinner Pawan Negi over the midwicket boundary before driving to long-off, where Yadav mis-fielded and allowed the four. Yadav and Daredevils' fielding wasn't as sharp as it had been against Kings XI Punjab.

Thereafter, there was no respite. Gayle passed 50 off his 37th delivery and began to score through sixes. He hit three in the 14th over, from Irfan Pathan. The first just cleared long-off, where Negi leaped on the boundary but parried the ball over; the next two, off a long-hop and a full toss, went more than 100 metres over the leg side. Gayle hit three more, in a row this time, in the 16th over from Negi. While his favoured region was down the ground and over midwicket, Gayle also sliced Yadav and Varun Aaron over the point boundary. He got to his century, his third in the IPL, off 53 deliveries.

Kohli was no slouch either, finishing with 73 off 53 balls. He had provided the initial thrust and raised the run-rate while Gayle settled in. He hit only one six, though, and eventually the show was only about Gayle.

Faced with an asking-rate of over 10 from the start, Daredevils approached the chase in top gear. At the end of the 11th over, they were 105 for 3; Royal Challengers had been 83 for 1. Freed of pressure and with only one obvious way to play, Taylor slog-swept with abandon and made clean connection more often than not. He brought up his half-century, off 22 deliveries, by blitzing Muttiah Muralitharan over deep midwicket.

The shot of the day, however, came from Andre Russell. He was facing his first delivery of the season, and Zaheer Khan had just bowled three tight deliveries in the 16th over before dismissing Naman Ojha with the fourth. The fifth crashed into the second tier behind the bowler's head, more than 100 metres from the centre. Russell even held his front-foot pose with a straight bat for the cameras.

Daredevils then needed 58 off 24 balls but Taylor was dismissed soon after, holing out to deep midwicket. And with runs coming from only Russell's end, Daredevils quickly fell behind the asking-rate, never to recover.

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Pomersbach detained over alleged assault

 

Luke Pomersbach, the Western Australia batsman who is part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad, has been detained by Delhi police following allegations that he assaulted a US national and her fiance at a hotel on Thursday night. The alleged incident took place after the match against Delhi Daredevils.

"A US national, staying at Hotel Maurya, was molested by Luke Pomersbach, an Australian player of RCB, when they were partying in her room," the Delhi police said in a statement. "When her fiancé Sahil intervened he too was boxed by Luke. A case under Sections 354, 323, 454 and 511 IPC [Indian Penal Code] registered at the Chanakyapuri police station."

Vijay Mallya, the owner of Royal Challengers, said the franchise would co-operate fully with the authorities. "Royal Challengers Bangalore regrets the incident involving Luke Pomersbach. We will ensure full co-operation with the concerned authorities so that a fair investigation takes place and the issue is disposed off in accordance with law," Vijay Mallya said in Delhi. "Pending disposal of this matter Luke Pomersbach will not take the field for The Royal Challengers Bangalore."

The IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said the league was "not responsible" for the alleged incident. "There was no official party hosted by the IPL. It's the behaviour of an individual, let the police handle it. We will wait for the report from the police and then react."

Both foreign nationals were reportedly injured and have been admitted to the Primus hospital. Pomersbach, who has not played a game for Royal Challengers this season, was reportedly taken to hospital for a medical test.

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IPL 'missed opportunity' for Pakistan players - Hafeez

 

Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan's newly appointed Twenty20 captain, has said that his side has missed out on the opportunity to enhance their skills by not being part of the IPL. They will have to face up to Sri Lanka short on match practice, he said, but the team is focussed on their task and optimistic about putting in a strong showing.

"For about two months we have not been playing international matches, not even Twenty20," Hafeez said on the sidelines of the team's preparatory camp at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. "If you compare the whole world with us, everyone is there [at the IPL] getting practice in intense scenarios and enhancing their skills, but our players are missing out on that opportunity. We set up this training [camp] to give the boys a chance to quickly get themselves in shape."

While some of Sri Lanka's key players, like Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga, are at the IPL, Pakistan's last series was in the UAE against England in February, and there they lost the three-match Twenty20 series 2-1. Since then however, the squad has taken on a new look, with the selectors picking specialist players for each format of the game and appointing Hafeez Twenty20 captain.

Hafeez said his squad will miss the experience of players like Misbah and Younis Khan, but has enough potential to produce a favourable result. "Most of our new players and the ones who are recalled are doing well on various platforms," he said. "Younis and Misbah are great players, but ultimately we have to move forward. It's not about individuals, we all trust each other, especially after Misbah has settled the atmosphere in the team.

"You will see that on this tour we will be very positive. I will try to maintain a good environment for them in the dressing room, and as a captain I am trying to give my players full confidence. Khalid [Latif], Ahmed [Shahzad] and Shoaib [Malik] have already played for Pakistan, and I am trying to create an atmosphere in which they do not feel that they are making a comeback of sorts to the Pakistan team."

His team, Hafeez said, will be wary of the demanding conditions in Sri Lanka and will not make any decisions on their playing combination beforehand. "Playing in Sri Lanka at home is always tough. We are wary about the conditions there, but we are optimistic about the result. The whole team is focussed, practice sessions are going well and we are trying to get ourselves into shape for international cricket."

"I think it's difficult to predict [the playing XI] beforehand, we have to look the conditions and the players will be used accordingly. It will depend on selectors, I don't want to predict things, there's a chance for everyone to do well."

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Chanderpaul defiant despite Broad sweep

 

That Shivnarine Chanderpaul values his wicket like few others is not a matter for debate. His team-mate Darren Bravo felt it, the umpire Marius Erasmus felt it and, most painfully of all, the England bowlers felt it. All three found at the start of an international summer that getting him to leave the crease is no easy matter.

More than 18 years since he made his Test debut, Chanderpaul is ranked the No. 1 Test batsman in the world, which is proof enough that, at 37, his appetite for batting has not diminished. He finished the opening day of the first Test unbeaten on 87 from 175 balls, with his average against England in England climbing beyond 69.

That England could claim nevertheless to have got the job done was down to the competitive zeal of Stuart Broad, who became stronger as the day progressed and who took all five wickets in the final session, with old ball and new, as West Indies faltered from 181 for 4. But as well as he bowled in a session that Chanderpaul was threatening to flatten, and as fulfilled as he looked as he acknowledged the applause, it still felt like a coda to a Guyanese day.

Chanderpaul's innings was not without collateral damage as he played a central role in the run out of his team-mate Darren Bravo in mid-afternoon. He was guilty of ball watching when he clipped Graeme Swann backward of square, took a couple of paces forward, enough to lure Bravo into attempting a rash single, whereupon he made a timely return to his crease shortly before Bravo arrived alongside him. Matt Prior's transfer of Ian Bell's throw to the bowler's end was inaccurate enough for Swann to have to dive to his left to retrieve and complete the run out with a measure of relief.

England came close to dismissing Chanderpaul on three occasions. Three overs after the run-out of Bravo, umpire Erasmus upheld James Anderson's appeal for lbw, around the wicket, after Chanderpaul raised arms and was hit on the pad. But Chanderpaul reviewed it with the calm demeanour of a batsman who knew his angles and Hawk-Eye suggested the ball was comfortably missing off stump.

Swann could have had him lbw on 63, but England failed to review. By the time he was on 74, England's captain, Andrew Strauss, gambled on Stuart Broad's conviction that he had him lbw - never a wise move - and the ball was shown to have pitched outside leg stump.

England's seam bowlers bowled wide of off stump at Chanderpaul until tea, often to 7-2 fields, respectful of his strength through the legside. They attacked the stumps more in the final session. Graeme Swann invited the sweep and his offspinners went for 14 in an over. Through it all, Chanderpaul's river rolled along, not as rapid as the Demerara in his native Guyana, more a languid plotting of the safest route through the mangroves. He bats to his own moods, at No. 5, because he is comfortable doing so; to question that, as has Brian Lara among others, is to invite his failure.

A cool, inhospitable English spring was a daunting challenge for the West Indies and when Anderson, England's player of the year, has a Dukes ball in his hand, the task is all the more challenging. He predictably made inroads in what for him were near-perfect bowling conditions with two wickets by lunch, bowling Kieran Powell with a superb delivery that snaked back to take the top of off stump and disorientating Kirk Edwards first up with an inswinger out of the Harry Potter school of wizardry before removing him with a full and straight one. Anderson even gave the on-field pep talk before play began. He is a man of few words and has probably found that an equally difficult skill to master.

Smart stats Shivnarine Chanderpaul continued his great run in England. He has now scored 1044 runs in his last ten Tests in England at an average of 80.30. It is also his ninth fifty-plus score in the ten matches. Chanderpaul's half-century is his 60th in Tests. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Allan Border, Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting are above him on the list of batsmen with the most half-centuries. Stuart Broad picked up his first five-wicket haul at Lord's. It is also the eighth five-wicket haul for an England bowler at the venue since the beginning of 2007. Broad's five-wicket haul is his fifth in Tests and second against West Indies. The performance is the fifth-best bowling performance by an England bowler against West Indies at Lord's. James Anderson is now level fourth with Brian Statham on the list of England bowlers with the most wickets at Lord's (45 wickets). Ian Botham is on top with 69 wickets. The 81-run stand between Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels is the fifth-highest fifth-wicket stand for West Indies at Lord's. Chanderpaul was also involved in the highest (125 runs) with Dwayne Bravo in 2004. It is now 24 years since a West Indian opener scored a century at Lord's. Gordon Greenidge did so on that occasion as West Indies won by 134 runs.

It was no surprise that England chose to bowl. The pitch was white and gleaming but it was what lay above and below that mattered. The groundsman, Mick Hunt, regarded underlying moisture as inevitable and up above the cloud cover added to the sense that batting would be difficult. As it turned out, there was more swing - and mostly for Anderson - than seam and the surface was slow. Anderson was outstanding as he swung the ball lavishly before lunch; Bresnan was steadfast and economical. But Broad's final-session flourish salvaged a more difficult day than they might have imagined.

But West Indies' recent history also made Strauss' decision a logical one. West Indies sides coming to England used to invite a sense of awe. These days, for many they bring a sense of regret, a regret at their inability to stand alongside the first-tier nations, illustrated by their record of two wins in their past 30 Tests.

The great West Indian sides could strut their stuff in midsummer in conditions that were more in their favour, but weaker West Indies sides have become the English season's support act and so must play their Test cricket earlier when conditions are stacked against them. It makes their task of recovery doubly difficult. They often came close to having a good day, particularly at 181 for 4, at which point Marlon Samuels, who had added 81 with Chanderpaul for the fifth wicket, drove uncertainly at a fullish, wide one from Broad and edged to backward point.

England followed their two wickets before lunch with two more in the afternoon. Adrian Barath, who had included some cultured cover drives in his 42 - nine boundaries in all - fell to a gully catch by Anderson, who fell backwards as he parried, but caught at the second attempt. England had failed with an lbw review against Barath earlier in the over, but retained their two reviews because Broad had overstepped.

Bravo had fortunate moments even before his run-out. There was reason for England supporters to rue Andrew Strauss' conservatism when Bravo edged his first ball, from Anderson, at catchable height through a vacant fourth slip. Swann should also have caught him at second slip off James Anderson in the previous over, the ball rebounding off his chest. There is something about catching the ball out of the egg-and-bacon backdrop in the Lord's pavilion that can defeat the best of slip catchers.

But England's catching sparked up in the final session as Broad picked off Chanderpaul's unreliable allies at regular intervals. Denesh Ramdin was undone by extra bounce. Then came three wickets with the new ball: Darren Sammy, working too square on the leg side and caught off a leading edge; Kemar Roach, chipping a return catch; and Fidel Edwards, caught at the wicket to end the day after Chanderpaul had got off strike from the first ball of the final over.

Broad walked off to the flattery of a contented crowd. But there, somewhere in the corner of his eye, was a batsman of immense durability. He remained not out, and is still England's unsolved challenge for the Test series that lies ahead.

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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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