Tag Futebol

Supreme Court to hear BCCI plea for Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah to stay

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

BCCI wants to make radical changes to its constitution which would go against the Lodha recommendations

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Jul-2020With less than a week left before BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is set to enter the three-year cooling off period, the Supreme Court has listed the board’s long-pending case for a hearing on Wednesday. The court is meant to hear BCCI’s plea, which it has filed twice since last December, proposing several amendments to the board’s constitution which, if adopted, could undo some of the most significant reforms recommended by the Lodha Committee.The hearing, which will be conducted virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be in front of a two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justice L Nageshwar Rao. As per the notes on the court’s website, the bench will take up the BCCI matter only after other scheduled hearings of the regular court.The hearing is hugely significant for the BCCI because on it rests the future of its two main office bearers – Ganguly and board secretary Jay Shah. Both are part of the new administration that was elected last October under the BCCI’s new constitution framed on the basis of the Lodha Committee reforms, which were mandated by the court in 2016.As per the BCCI constitution, an office bearer is allowed to serve for two consecutive terms spanning six years (at BCCI or state level or a combination of both) after which a cooling-off period of three years is mandatory. That rule was approved by the court itself in 2018, when it modified the clause concerning the cooling period to two terms (six years) instead of the just one (as stated in its 2016 order).ALSO READ: ‘BCCI amendments, if permitted, will mean ridiculing the Supreme Court’Both Ganguly and Shah were scheduled to finish six years this year, having started as office bearers at the Cricket Association of Bengal and Gujarat Cricket Association respectively.While Ganguly’s term reportedly comes to end on July 27, Shah’s has been over in the past month or so although an exact date could not be confirmed. In its second plea filed in April, the BCCI asked the court to consider the amendments to the board’s constitution including tweaking the cooling-off period of the board’s office bearers, modifying the disqualification criteria, giving unprecedented powers to the BCCI secretary, and stopping the court from having any say if the board wants to alter the constitution. The amendments were unanimously approved by the state associations that comprise the BCCI general body.The BCCI has said its two most powerful office bearers – the president and the secretary – should be allowed to serve two consecutive terms (six years) solely at the BCCI (without taking into account terms served at state level) before the cooling-off period kicks in.In the absence of any directive from the court, the BCCI has said Shah, Ganguly and Jayesh George, its joint secretary, who, too, needs to serve the cooling-off period soon, can continue. Recently, a member of the BCCI’s Apex Council, Alka Rehani Bharadwaj, raised doubts about whether Shah could attend the July 17 meeting of the panel which is tasked with making policy and governance decisions. Bharadwaj, who represents the Comptroller & Auditor General of India [CAG], asked Ganguly and George to ensure only eligible members attended the Apex Council meetings.In its April affidavit, the BCCI told the court that the three-year cooling-off period for an office-bearer following a six-year tenure is an eligibility criteria necessary only to contest the elections. The Apex Council was given the same reasoning to justify the presence of Shah at the July 17 meeting.CAG request on relieving nominee on BCCI Apex CouncilThe court is also likely to hear the CAG’s request, too, tomorrow. Recently, the CAG filed a plea asking the court for its nominee on the Apex Council to be relieved on the grounds that it is “unable” to function as an independent voice and carry out its primary job: to provide financial oversight to the BCCI and the state associations.The CAG nominee is the solitary independent voice in the nine-person Apex Council and the seven-strong IPL Governing Council. The inclusion of the CAG official was one of the most significant recommendations of the Lodha Committee. The objective, the Lodha Committee said, and the court agreed, was the CAG nominee would “ensure transparency and financial oversight” in the functioning of the BCCI.Asked by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday to comment on BCCI’s move to carry further tweaks to its constitution, Justice Lodha politely declined. Last November, immediately after the BCCI amendments were made public, he had said it was “unfortunate” that Ganguly had failed to understand the true worth of the reforms which was the only reason a cricketer had become the BCCI president.”I thought a cricketer at the helm of affairs will understand that it was only our reforms which brought him to this position,” Justice Lodha told the . “If the earlier system was in vogue, perhaps no cricketer could have ever dreamt of heading a body like the BCCI. The way the politics is played in cricket administration, I don’t think any cricketer would have been able to get this position but for these reforms.”That’s all the more reason for those in charge now to respect the reforms and try to fully implement them, instead of changing them”, Lodha added. He hoped the changes do not happen. “Let reforms work over a period of time and see how transparency, accountability come into the administration.”

Williamson unlucky, I have the 'smallest' hands – Wood

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Two impressive performances have taken into the semi-finals with confidence restored but they know this is the bare minimum they needed to do

George Dobell at Chester-le-Street03-Jul-2019Mark Wood admitted he “got lucky” to dismiss Kane Williamson in freakish fashion in Durham.Williamson was well set and averaging over 100 in the tournament when Ross Taylor punched a delivery from Wood down the ground only to see the bowler stick a hand out and, in attempting to stop the ball, gain only the slightest of deflections onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Williamson, backing up in anticipation of a run, was out of his ground and out of the game.And while Williamson generously suggested England’s tight bowling might have played a part in forcing him to back-up so aggressively – “the English bowlers put us under pressure,” he said, “I don’t know whether the run-out came from that” – Wood accepted luck was a more pertinent factor. Especially bearing in mind his “small hands.”WATCH on Hotstar (India only): How England bowled out New Zealand“I got lucky,” Wood said. “He backed-up because he was looking for the run. It was nothing to do with my bowling. And it’s not as if I deliberately palmed it back on the stumps. I was trying to actually stop it and got a little bit fortunate. I am pleased that in such a big game I managed to be so lucky.”He doesn’t know how unlucky he is because I’ve got the smallest hands for a bloke you’ve ever seen. I managed to just get a fingertip to it. The umpire wasn’t sure if I’d tipped it, and I was like ‘I swear to God I did.’ I knew it had flicked the end of my finger.”He is one of the best players I’ve ever bowled at. So to get him out any way you can is pretty important. It saved me bowling at him any more so I was pretty pleased.”Jos Buttler, meanwhile, reckoned that England’s performance in their last couple of games – matches in which they have beaten India and New Zealand at a time they knew defeat could mean elimination from the tournament – should both give the side confidence and remind them to play the “brand of cricket” which works best for them.”It’s a really good sign for us,” Buttler said. “We stood up and played our brand of cricket under that pressure. That breeds a lot of confidence for the group. It reminds us that our way is the best way and gives us a lot of chance of performing. That’s what we have resorted to in the two must-win games and shows that we must continue that.”Both men admit their excitement at reaching the semi-final stage, though Buttler also accepted it had been a “minimum requirement” ahead of the tournament.”We are very excited to be in a semi-final,” he said. “But I think it was the minimum requirement; the first stage we had to get to. We have given ourselves a great chance and we’re really excited for that challenge. We’ve obviously had two tough games to finish to qualify and we showed great character to come through with two very good performances.””We’ve got some great momentum,” Wood agreed. “We’ve had our backs up against the wall so to play with the values we have talked about in the past has showed a lot of courage from the team. Now we are going on to another huge game, but one we’ll be pretty confident in.”

Players distance themselves from CSA spat

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

South African players, through the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), have distanced themselves from the ongoing spat between CSA chief executive Gerald Majola and the body’s president Mtutzeli Nyoka

Firdose Moonda10-Sep-2011South African players, through the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), have distanced themselves from the ongoing spat between CSA chief executive Gerald Majola and the body’s president Mtutzeli Nyoka. This comes after CSA said on Friday, at the conclusion of its annual conference, that the national team said Nyoka was a “poor example” because he allegedly breached CSA’s media protocol.”The players are not involved in this issue and have expressed no views in favour of, or against, one side or the other,” Tony Irish, SACA chief executive said. “There have been no letters or statements by the players or by SACA as suggested in some reports.”A letter, written by national team manager, Mohammad Moosajee was presented to the board at their special general meeting on September 8, about his concerns. Moosajee said that he was worried about enforcing protocols and holding the players accountable for their actions in the media if the most senior office bearer of the body is not doing the same.While not stating it explicitly, Moosajee was referring to incidents that have taken place over the past year in the national media. This includes an interview that Nyoka gave to Johannesburg’s biggest talk-radio station, 702, in January in which he called Majola a “liar” and accused him of being dishonest about the IPL bonuses that were paid to Majola and 40 CSA staff. Nyoka has also made various references to corruption in cricket and South African society.The latest development in the CSA saga is a second motion of no confidence in Nyoka, which was tabled at the same meeting. The first attempt to oust the president took place on the eve of the World Cup in February and was said to be a distraction to the players as they entered an important tournament.The national players have not commented on the issue but Moosajee, as manager of the team, has penned the letter to express his concern about the potential for setting a poor media example. He confirmed that the players have “nothing to do with the letter.”Irish said that although the players are not involving themselves in the saga, they would like to see it reach a speedy conclusion. “SACA and the players do however appeal to the leaders within CSA to do whatever they can to resolve the current differences within the organisation in order to prevent further damage to the game.”

Karthik blitz keeps Punjab in race

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Kings XI Punjab beat the Kochi Tuskers Kerala by six wickets in a boundary-rich encounter at the IPL’s newest venue, Indore

The Bulletin by Firdose Moonda13-May-2011
Scorecard and ball by ball detailsDinesh Karthik’s 69 off 33 balls kept Kings XI Punjab’s play-off hopes alive•AFP

Kings XI Punjab beat the Kochi Tuskers Kerala by six wickets in a boundary-rich encounter at the IPL’s newest venue, Indore, keeping their hopes of making the play-offs alive. Emphatic batting from Dinesh Karthik and Shaun Marsh, who put on a 111-run stand for the third-wicket, made the difference on a surface that was good for batting, in a stadium with short boundaries and a quick outfield.Karthik and Marsh’s bruising combination nullified the earlier efforts of Mahela Jayawardene. The Kochi captain had played a classy innings of 76 in which he alternated effortlessly between elegant flicks, casual lofted strokes and crunching blows to propel the Kochi ship to 178.Adam Gilchrist and Paul Valthathy started the chase in measured fashion against RP Singh and Sreesanth but with the target they had to chase, they could not afford to hang around for too long. Valthaty began the assault, smashing RP for two sixes off short balls before being bowled with the full one.Gilchrist continued watchfully and was out in RP’s next over, trying to pull over midwicket but only succeeding in getting an edge through to Parthiv Patel, leaving Punjab in trouble.Karthik and Marsh weren’t pushed into a shell by that though. They took on the bowling and managed at least one boundary off every over they faced together. Some overs were more profitable than others. Marsh was feeding off the full delivery, getting under them and driving aerially, while Karthik cashed in on the short balls. He hit the balls particularly furiously and brought up his 50 with a blistering swipe through midwicket.As he and Marsh had Punjab needing about a run-a-ball for victory, when RP returned and struck twice again. Karthik drove in the air to extra cover and Mahela Jayawardene timed his leap to perfection, snatching it out of the sky. He stuck again in that over, removing Marsh with a spectacular reflex catch off his own bowling.It slowed Punjab down a touch, but not enough as David Hussey and Mandeep Singh took them across the finish line. In the end Punjab got away with the 19 wides they sent down while bowling and the blistering start they allowed Jayawardene and Brendon McCullum to get off to.The Kochi pair were offered a healthy amount of short ball and flighted deliveries from Ryan Harris and Bipul Sharma and took full advantage. The nature of the track allowed them to punish even decent balls and they put on 93 for the first wicket. McCullum fell to Sharma after being trapped lbw while attempting the sweep shot but Jayawardene was unmoved by the loss of his partner.With Ravindra Jadeja, he took Kochi to 103 for 1 at the halfway stage. Jadeja smacked one gorgeous six off Piyush Chawla before the lespinner had him out lbw. The runs slowed a little after that. The third fifty took 44 balls to come, during which Jadeja and Brad Hodge were out, and Jayawardene had to rein himself in a little.He formed another damaging partnership with Owais Shah, who had his first outing in the IPL this season. Shah hit an entertaining 23 off 11 balls before being run-out after struggling to hear the call from Jayawardene, who was himself run out off the last ball. A flurry of wickets at the end pegged Kochi back and kept them from striding over the 200 mark.

Federal Areas hold edge after action-packed day

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Round-up of the first day’s play in the fifth round of matches of the Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2011Seventeen wickets fell and 418 runs were scored on an action-packed first day at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with Federal Areas ending up 14 runs ahead of Sind with three wickets remaining. Sind were put in to bat and were in immediate trouble at 6 for 3. Faisal Iqbal, who scored 67, and Fawad Alam got them back on track with a 97-run partnership. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed then came in and smashed 55 off 33, but wickets kept falling at the other end, and Sarfraz was eventually left stranded as Sind were bowled out for 202. The seamers did all the damage for Federal Areas with left-armer Sohail Tanvir and allrounder Hammad Azam taking three wickets each.Sind had scored their runs at 5.36 runs an over, which meant there were still plenty of overs left in the day for Federal Areas to bat. They went about their innings in similar fashion to Sind, scoring at 5.53 runs per over, but losing wickets at regular intervals, with several of the batsmen not converting starts. Umar Amin got 42 off 39 and Adnan Mufti got 41 off 42, but Mohammad Sami kept striking at vital moments, and finished with 4 for 56. Federal Areas will be glad to have Hammad Azam still at the crease; he finished the day on 60 not out.

Half-centuries by wicketkeeper Humayun Farhat and No. 8 Saad Nasim ensured Punjab reached 340 for 9 on the first day of their match against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Punjab were in tight spots twice in their innings. They lost three early wickets, but half-centuries from Mohammad Ayub and Usman Salahuddin helped them to recover to 175 for 3. Another burst of three wickets left them in trouble again at 186 for 6, but this time it was Farhat and Nasim who came to their rescue with a 100-run partnership. Nasim finished the day 84 not out. Legspinner Yasir Shah was Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s most successful bowler, picking up 4 for 118.

Bancroft century boosts Gloucestershire's unbeaten streak

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Overseas star carries his bat in 144-ball 143 to give his side four wins from four

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Aug-2025Gloucestershire 289 for 5 (Bancroft 143*) beat Glamorgan 288 for 9 (Byrom 94, Northeast 52, van Buuren 3-33) by five wicketsCameron Bancroft scored a superbly-judged unbeaten hundred to guide Gloucestershire to a convincing five-wicket victory over Glamorgan and extend their winning start to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign to four games at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium.Set 290 to win and retain top spot in Group A, Gloucestershire were indebted to their overseas star, who carried his bat in posting 143 from 144 balls, striking 17 fours and two sixes and sharing in stands of 72 and 84 with Ben Charlesworth and Graeme van Buuren for the third and fifth wickets respectively as the home side reached their target with 20 balls to spare.Recalled to the team, allrounder van Buuren had earlier claimed 3 for 33 with the ball to ensure Eddie Byrom’s outstanding innings of 94 from 108 balls was made in a losing cause. Byrom staged a stand of 127 in 22.1 overs for the second wicket with Sam Northeast, who raised a 59-ball 52 after Gloucestershire had won the toss. Dan Douthwaite weighed in with a hard-hitting 43, but seamers Matt Taylor and Josh Shaw took three wickets apiece to restrict the Welsh county to 289 for 9.Gloucestershire remain the only side to boast a 100 percent record after four matches, but 2024 competition winners Glamorgan are still seeking their first victory and will have to win all of their remaining fixtures if they are to stand any chance of making the knockout stages.Gloucestershire inserted their neighbours on a flat surface and Matt Taylor struck an early blow, luring Asa Tribe into driving low to mid-off in the second over.Initially tied down by nagging line and length, Byrom and Northeast eventually broke the shackles, both heaving Taylor over the mid-wicket boundary rope as their alliance raised 50 in 49 balls.Gloucestershire engineered an opportunity with the advent of Ollie Price’s off-breaks, Northeast hitting to deep midwicket on 19. Although Zaman Akhter took the catch, his momentum carried him over the boundary and the batter enjoyed a fortuitous escape. There were no such issues for Byrom, who moved smoothly to a 46-ball half-century with his seventh four, a fluent straight drive off Craig Miles.The hundred partnership occupied 16.4 overs as Gloucestershire’s seamers struggled to contain the second-wicket pair, who were further aided by some uncharacteristically loose fielding from the Group A leaders. Making good his earlier escape, Northeast posted 50 from 57 balls, only to give van Buuren’s slow left arm the charge and be stumped by James Bracey immediately afterwards with the score 135 for 2.This was the breakthrough Gloucestershire had been wanting and experienced allrounder van Buuren then removed the in-form Kiran Carlson for nine in his next over, Glamorgan’s captain nicking behind as the visitors slipped to 151 for 3 at the halfway stage. Welsh ambition required Byrom to bat on and register a substantial score, but the Zimbabwe-born left-hander fell to a superb catch by Tommy Boorman on the deep square leg boundary as van Buuren struck another potentially crucial blow.Byrom had provided the innings with a solid platform but with the score 194 for 4 in the 35th, Gloucestershire felt they were back in the game, an impression confirmed when Will Smale edged a catch behind off the bowling of Matt Taylor and departed for 26.Just when Glamorgan looked as though they might fall short, Douthwaite launched a counter-attack, including four sixes and dominating a stand of 52 in 7.2 over for the sixth wicket with Zain-ul-Hassan before falling to the returning Shaw.Bracey afforded Gloucestershire’s chase a super-charged start, raising 34 from 25 balls in an opening stand of 43 in 5.3 overs with Bancroft. But Ned Leonard redressed the balance in his first over, taking two wickets in three balls to reduce the home side to 43 for 2. Bracey was caught at the wicket and then Price was out slashing at a delivery outside off stump, Northeast palming the ball into the air for Tribe to complete the dismissal at first slip.Bancroft and Charlesworth responded to adversity in positive fashion, finding the gaps and running hard between the wickets to add 50 in 10 overs and rebuild the innings without taking undue risk. Having contributed 37 to a stand of 72 for the third wicket, Charlesworth then lost concentration, lofting Carlson to wide long-off where Douthwaite took a superb catch on the run to reduce the home side to 115 for 3 in the 20th.Undeterred, Bancroft went to 50 from 59 balls and he and Jack Taylor advanced the score to 145 for 3 at halfway, at which point Gloucestershire were required to score a further 145 at 5.8 an over. The home side’s task was rendered more difficult when Taylor was deemed to have feathered a catch behind off the bowling of Harris in the 26th.Guiding the pursuit thereafter, Bancroft moved to his sixth career List-A hundred off 100 balls by lifting Andy Gorvin over the long-on boundary. He found an able ally in van Buuren, who proved especially strong off the back foot, scoring at a run a ball to ensure the rate stayed below six an over.Glamorgan lost wicketkeeper Alex Horton to a hand injury and he was replaced behind the stumps by Smale, but Gloucestershire’s fifth-wicket pair were already in control, combining deft placement with quick running to keep the scoreboard moving. Harris returned to pin van Buuren lbw for 36, but Boorman contributed a brisk 27 not out to an unbroken stand of 57 for the sixth wicket with Bancroft to calm any nerves and render the outcome a formality.

Surrey batters turn the screw after Dan Worrall six-for floors Worcestershire

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Lawrence, Burns, Smith, Clark half-centuries extend lead past 400 at The Oval

ECB Reporters Network18-May-2024Leaders Surrey are in a strong position to claim their fourth win of the season in the Vitality County Championship after dominating the second day against Worcestershire at the Kia Oval.Dan Worrall wrapped up Worcestershire’s first innings by claiming the last three wickets in five balls to finish with 6 for 22 as Surrey took a lead of 85.Skipper Rory Burns laid the foundations with 70 at the start of Surrey’s second innings and although Worcestershire fought back after lunch with four wickets in eight overs, Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence, who was dropped on four, reasserted Surrey’s control with a fifth-wicket stand of 115 in 29 overs.Smith made 72 before Lawrence and Jordan Clark added further punishment with an unbroken sixth-wicket alliance of 108 as Surrey closed on 342 for 5, a lead of 427.Worrall now has 22 wickets in four games – with power to add in the second innings – after ending Worcestershire’s first innings during a high-class spell at the start of the day from the Vauxhall end.In his fourth over and having bowled a series of inswingers at Joe Leach, he moved one away and Ben Foakes dived in front of first slip to take the edge. Ben Gibbon lost his off bail when the next ball nipped back and although Yadvinder Singh survived the hat-trick he drove airily at his second delivery and Foakes snaffled his 300th first-class catch for Surrey.All out for 128, Worcestershire were up against it, but their seamers bowled with good control with the new ball and Burns and Sibley took no risks and settled for patient accumulation.Sibley’s first six runs came off 50 balls before he doubled his score by hoisting Gibbon off his pads and over the mid-wicket boundary. The partnership was worth 79 from 29 overs when Sibley nicked a fine ball from Singh on a fourth-stump line that left him off the pitch.In the next over Ollie Pope was superbly caught by the diving Nathan Smith at leg slip to reward Gibbon’s wholehearted endeavours and, having claimed his maiden first-class wicket, debutant Singh took his second in his fourth over when Burns, having passed 50 for the fourth time this season, nicked off and was well held low down at slip by Rob Jones.Surrey slipped to 115 for 4 in the 38th over after Foakes missed a straight one from Matthew Waite, but Waite was left shaking his head in frustration when Lawrence was put down on the mid-wicket boundary by Kashif Ali having made just three. It felt like a defining moment in the day and so it proved as the sun came out and Lawrence and Jamie Smith built the lead after tea in the best batting conditions of the match.Smith, playing with increasing freedom, hit 12 fours in a typically enterprising 72 from 109 balls before losing his off stump to Gibbon via an inside edge as he shaped to drive through the covers.Lawrence followed him to fifty – his second of the match – in the next over and the situation was perfect for Clark to go on the attack. He raced to his half-century off 42 balls, including a six over long-off off Ali, as the lead swelled beyond 400 with 160 runs added in the final session. Both will have their eyes on a century in the morning.

Will consider PSL performances to finalise World Cup squad – Arthur

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The head coach also backed captain Sarfaraz Ahmed for his wicketkeeping form over recent months

Umar Farooq08-Feb-2019With under four months to go for the World Cup in England, Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur has said the selectors and team management will look at the upcoming PSL and the ODI series against Australia before finalising a squad of 15 for the global tournament. Pakistan play 10 ODIs before the World Cup – five against Australia in the UAE after the PSL and five in England in May – and Arthur said he and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq had 19 players in mind and would want to have two game plans in place for the conditions in England during the summer.”Inzi and I have been on the same page for a long while here. And I’m going to be honest because I’ve told the boys in the dressing room the same thing the other night,” Arthur said in Lahore after returning from South Africa. “I think we’ve got probably 19 players for 15 positions. PSL always throws up one or two good individual performers, so we are going to have a look at some of our borderline players, the guys that we are not sure about. We have to look at them during the Australian series and then we will make our minds up leading into England, obviously we will be taking 15 there. The key is players get clarity in terms of their roles and role clarity is particularly important.”Pakistan have given opportunities to youngsters with the advent of the PSL in the last couple of years. With the T20 league starting in under a week, players will want to impress the selectors particularly for slots in the middle order and the fast-bowling attack. The current probables for the pace attack comprise Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Usman Shinwari and bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf. Among the spinners, Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim are the likely candidates to make the trip to England.”The other thing that’s important for us is having an option with two game plans,” Arthur said. “I’m saying two game plans because the weather in England at any given time is very unpredictable, so we need an option where we have our spinners, who are able to suffocate through the middle [overs] because the key for us to win one-day games is about taking wickets through that middle period.”Either we do that with two spinners or little bit of reverse-swing if the weather stays dry, or if the weather is wet over that period of time there we have to have an option of a seam-bowling allrounder who can come in and bat at No. 7 for us. So we’re very close, we’ve covered all our bases in terms of our personnel at the moment.”Pakistan fought hard against South Africa in the ODIs, losing the series 3-2, but their form since they won the Champions Trophy in June 2017 hasn’t been impressive. They have won 15 of their 27 completed matches since then, completing series wins only against Sri Lanka, ranked eighth, and Zimbabwe. In this time they were also blanked 5-0 in New Zealand a year ago, won matches only against Hong Kong and Afghanistan in the Asia Cup in September, and drew the three-match series 1-1 against New Zealand in the UAE in November.AFP

Looking back at the South Africa tour, where Pakistan lost the Test series 3-0, ODIs 3-2 and T20Is 2-1, Arthur said he was proud of the way the team showed their “passion” and “intensity”.”I just think it is really important that I reiterate how proud I am of the cricket team,” he said. “We were two months away on the road. Four-and-a-half months away is a hell of a long time and the intensity and the passion that these guys trained with has been fantastic. So, look I am very very proud, players are very proud, of the development of the lot of our young players.”We’ve played the most cricket over the last four-and-a-half months than any other team in the world. That’s not an excuse, I’m not using it as an excuse because that’s the way it is. We’ve got to handle that. India have a large pool of players available to them. We didn’t rotate our players as much because we are in a process, we need to educate them in all conditions so that’s exactly the decision we’ve made.”Our planning is done. We’ve got our schedules, we’ve got everything in place leading upto the World Cup. Myself, Inzamam and Sarfaraz [Ahmed] have been completely united in the process that we are going forward.”Even though Sarfaraz’s own form has been under scrutiny, he recently got the backing of the PCB to lead the team in the World Cup. He has averaged only 26.62 in 12 ODI innings over the last year, scoring only one half-century. But with his replacement Mohammad Rizwan not impressing much with the bat in two ODIs and three T20Is against South Africa, the pressure on Sarfaraz was not mounting and Arthur, too, backed the captain primarily for his wicketkeeping skills and form.”It’s very simple, we need to be very fluid with out game plans,” Arthur said. “Sarfaraz has done exceptional work for us up and down the order. I think the thing that we’ve got to realise is over a long tour, form comes and goes and players start playing well and then they slip off the radar a little bit, and we need to then be able to send our form players at any given minute. In terms of fluidity in our batting order it’s whoever is in form and what that situation demands at that particular time. If you see all the best teams in the world have the ability to be flexible. We’re trying to be as flexible as we can. If we didn’t give the opportunity to players in those positions we wouldn’t know.”Understand that Sarfaraz’s first and foremost thing is captain and wicketkeeper, people forget wicketkeeping is a specialist position. Sarfaraz’s numbers over the last four-and-a-half months are mindblowing, one catch dropped, one stumping missed. I can tell you I did the research on the plane coming last night, he’s dropped eight balls in four-and-a-half months, so he is not out of form in his core job. His core job is to keep wickets and to take the catches and make the stumpings, he’s done a job over four-and-a-half months.”Sarfaraz will be the first one to admit that his batting form has come and gone. We have worked exceptionally hard on Sarfaraz’s batting going forward. When Sarfaraz plays well, he wins games for us. I want to reiterate I am not worried about Sarfaraz’s form. Sarfaraz Ahmed is a very very good cricketer. He and I work incredibly close together, we’ve got very close working relationship, as good as I had with any captain. I just need to put that to bed.”

Lord's return a 'great opportunity' – Kusal

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Kusal Perera was banned from cricket six months ago but two days out from the Lord’s Test he was seen getting special attention in the Nursery Ground nets

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jun-2016Two days before a Dunedin Test match in December, news broke that a doping test had found a banned substance in Kusal Perera’s body. In the grueling months that followed, Perera put himself through more tests – including a polygraph – to have his name cleared.Two days out from another Test match and Perera’s batting was seen getting special attention in the nets on the Lord’s Nursery Ground. He admitted six months out of the game had taken an emotional and physical toll, but there is an eagerness to get back to playing cricket. What better place to make his return, he asked, than the most prestigious ground of them all?”I haven’t been told if I’m playing yet, but I was thrown into trouble and to come back from that at Lord’s would be a great opportunity,” Kusal said. “I was banned just before a Test, so to return in this format would be fitting. Even the time I was out of the team I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. But these things can happen in life.”Between December 7, when he was provisionally suspended, and May 11, when he was cleared, Perera was not allowed to so much as train with the SLC coaches. He might not have had the time anyway, having had to make repeated trips overseas, including to London, where the polygraph and a separate urine test were conducted. A hair analysis was done in a Paris lab.”I couldn’t really think about cricket much in those months, because my focus was on the problem I was facing. I didn’t have any time to think about whether I was in touch, or whether I could train, or even what was happening in cricket. I started training the day after I was cleared. Before then I didn’t do much batting – just some fitness work.”Perera was in the nets at Colombo’s Khettarama on May 13, and said he has trained as much as Sri Lanka’s heavy southwest monsoon has allowed him to. He was not expected to play a part in the Test series, but injuries to others in the squad have allowed him to be fast-tracked.”When you start training after six months your body needs to get used to it again,” he said. “Your muscles start to hurt – but that’s normal. But what I’ve found is that because I’m coming into it quite fresh, I’m hitting the ball well. I’m seeing it well. So there are positives to it as well. I feel like I’m in good touch.”Perera said he hadn’t specifically trained for Test cricket since resuming practice, but was hopeful the relative ease of conditions at Lord’s might ease him into international cricket – if he is in the final XI. Temperatures are expected to remain in the 20s Centigrade during the Test, and no team has been dismissed for less than 350 at Lord’s in three county matches so far this season.”I watched the attack and it’s mostly fast bowlers,” Kusal said. “In London the conditions seem easier, because it must have been very cold in Durham. When it’s cold you are a bit stiff and your feet don’t work as well. With this weather and given the pitch as well – which looks like it will be batting-friendly – I think there’s a chance for us to dominate them.”

Rath, Nizakat give HK win on home ODI debut

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Hong Kong registered a 109-run victory over Scotland in the historic first ODI played in East Asia on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Nizakat Khan boosted the Hong Kong innings with a well-paced 94 off 93 balls•Martin Hunter/IDI/Getty

Rain may have spoiled the maiden first-class match from being played on Hong Kong soil last week, but the weather behaved long enough for a historic maiden home ODI victory by Hong Kong, who defeated Scotland by 109 runs at Mission Road on Tuesday. A total of 259 after being sent in, achieved thanks to a 170-run fourth-wicket stand between Nizakat Khan and Anshuman Rath, turned out to be plenty for the hosts.The win for Hong Kong breaks a four-way tie to move them to the top of the WCL Championship points table. They are now two points clear of Scotland, Netherlands and Kenya, who each have six points.Hong Kong found themselves in trouble at 16 for 2 in three overs as Alasdair Evans removed Kinchit Shah for a second-ball duck before Babar Hayat fended a short ball to wicketkeeper Matthew Cross for 8. Former captain Jamie Atkinson fell shortly after the initial powerplay, slapping Safyaan Sharif to Calum MacLeod at cover for 21 to make it 55 for 3.Nizakat joined the opener Rath and the pair engaged in a dogged resistance of the Scotland attack’s pressure. It took Nizakat 12 balls to get off the mark before the shackles came undone with a lofted cover drive. The right-hander looked increasingly comfortable by the 28th over when he flayed debutant Bradley Wheal behind point for a pair of crisp cuts to the boundary.Rath was on 20 when Nizakat came to the crease but Nizakat overtook his partner in the 31st over with a straight drive over Richie Berrington’s head before flicking the part-time medium pacer through fine leg for his ninth four to bring up a half-century off 59 balls. Rath, whose momentum slowed down in the 30s after being struck on the box, grafted his way to his own fifty off 91 balls four overs later.Scotland’s frustration at being unable to break the stand grew after Rath was dropped on 75 in the 40th over off Josh Davey, when a skied chance produced by a checked drive to a slower ball was spilled by a backpedaling Preston Mommsen at midwicket. Nizakat powered a six over cover off the next ball, then smashed another over midwicket off Sharif in the 44th to break into the 90s. However, Sharif’s commitment to the slower-ball bouncer paid off by the end of the over as Nizakat gloved an attempted pull to Cross behind the stumps to finally end the partnership.At 225 for 4 and with Rath on 86, Hong Kong set out to finish the innings with a flourish but their aggressiveness backfired and they wound up being bowled out with five balls left in the innings. The slide was sparked by Evans in the 47th, who had Tanwir Afzal and Waqas Barkat out caught behind and teamed up with Cross for a third wicket when he chased down a delivery off his own bowling at midwicket before firing to the keeper’s end to run out Rath for 97.Rob Taylor had Aizaz Khan and Haseeb Amjad both caught by Mommsen at long-on in the 49th before Wheal closed out the innings by getting Nadeem Ahmed to slice a drive to Evans at third man. Evans led the way with 4 for 41 but consistent support came from Sharif and Taylor with 2 for 44 and 2 for 38 respectively.A light rain was present throughout the early part of the Scotland chase but the outlook became gloomier for the visitors when captain Afzal struck off back-to-back balls in the fifth to clean bowl Kyle Coetzer for 6 and tease Matt Machan into chasing a rising delivery for an edge behind. The rain increased enough for the players to leave the field at 9 for 2 after seven overs.Any hope Scotland might have had of being saved by rain faded when the umpires brought both sides back on 20 minutes later and before long wickets continued to tumble. Mommsen fell for 5 in the 10th to a superb sliding catch by Aizaz at mid-on after a mistimed pull off Amjad.Afzal, who bowled a near-unbroken 10 overs, changing ends midway through his spell, took one more in his final over to finish with 3 for 20 as Berrington flicked loosely to midwicket. Aizaz struck in back-to-back overs beginning in the 26th when Cross was well caught just inside the rope at long on by Barkat before MacLeod’s resistance ended for 58 in the 28th when he sliced a drive to third man.Nadeem then came on to wipe out the tail and finished with career-best List A figures of 4 for 26. Taylor was claimed at deep midwicket before Sharif was stumped overbalancing on a whiffed drive. The left-arm tweaker induced a leading edge to cover by Evans for his third wicket before a thick edge from an errant drive was sent by Davey to Afzal at point on the first ball of the 40th over to wrap up victory.The two sides are scheduled to play the second ODI at Mission Road on Thursday.