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A report in Jamaica’s Gleaner newspaper has suggested that visitors to the island for the World Cup face having to pay massively inflated prices for hotel rooms, with many being almost double the standard rate.A survey by the newspaper’s business section revealed variations in price of between 63 and 133% above the normal rate, something that hoteliers put down to supply and demand at an already busy time of the year.Horace Peterkin, the president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, explained that the higher costs were justified by additional expenditure needed to cope with the extra tourists expected on the island.He added said that during the initial planning for World Cup, hotels were told the matches would occur in April and May, the to the tourism sector’s summer season and the point at which its rates are generally lowest.The Jamaica Pegasus, which will be the base of match officials and other cricket personnel, has rates of US$300 per room/night, compared to the US$167 it currently charges.”The bookings were made way in advance. There are going to be four teams officials and the press,” general manager Eldon Bremmer told the Gleaner. “We are fully booked and because of who are staying here it will work out cheaper. We have not had a change in rate since last year.”

The stage is set for another battle between the Senate’s Standing Committee on Sports and the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) top brass today with the focus of Senators shifting towards the board’s finances.The meeting that was requisitioned by the committee in a bid to probe the PCB’s bank accounts will be held this morning with Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, and Shafqat Naghmi, the chief operating officer, appearing before the Senators.While the PCB officials say they will be attending the meeting well-prepared, the Senate committee, according to one of its members, enjoys no such luxury. Some of the Senators are in fact fuming over the board’s lethargy over the matter and say that they are yet to receive the PCB’s accounts details.”We were expecting to receive the accounts details of the PCB at least four to five days before the meeting but are yet to get hold of any such document,” Senator Enver Baig told on Wednesday.The Senate committee has sought the PCB’s account details from 2004 onwards. The PCB bosses will chiefly be grilled by Senator Haroon Akhtar, who is regarded as a financial expert. A member of the opposition PML (Q) party, Haroon is a brother of the former commerce minister Humayun Akhtar.A top PCB official told this paper that the Senators will be provided with comprehensive details of the board’s bank balance.”We have nothing to hide,” said Naghmi. “The board’s finances are in good shape and will be presented before the Senate committee tomorrow.”Naghmi said the PCB devised its treasury policy for the first time in May 2007 following an approval of the ad-hoc committee which has been now been disbanded. “All our bank deals are governed by that policy,” he said.Giving details, Naghmi said the policy makes it clear that the PCB can only deal with banks that are given A or A+ status by the relevant authorities. “And it was also decided that the board will not keep more than 15% of its funds in one bank, which is why our accounts are spread over several banks.”The PCB has been criticised for putting its funds in several second-tier banks like Soneri Bank, MyBank, Bank of Khyber, NIB, Atlas and Habib Metropolitan Bank.Naghmi painted a rosy picture of the PCB funds saying that they are growing in a healthy manner. “In 2004, the average return on the board’s investments was 5% but currently it is 9%,” he said.However, it remains to be seen whether Naghmi and Ashraf will be able to convince the Senate committee that the billions of rupees in what is the most cash-rich sports body in the country are in safe hands.

The West Indies Cricket Board has accepted, “with regret”, the resignation of its chief executive Bruce Aanensen after a meeting in Barbados on Saturday. Aanensen had sent his resignation letter to the board president on Tuesday.”The board recognises that the reasons given by Mr. Aanensen for his resignation relate to very complex and challenging matters with which it will continue to be engaged,” said the WICB. “After discussion and review, the board is satisfied that the president has acted in the best interests of West Indies cricket at this time.”Barry Thomas, the WICB’s chief financial officer, was expected to act as chief executive officer in the interim. Aanensen took up the position in February, replacing Roger Brathwaite, who stepped down in 2006.Aanensen was involved in a number of disputes with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) including the contracts issue during the build-up to the World Cup and the controversy over whether or not the subsequent tour to England was part of the ICC’s Future Tours Program.The appointment of Dinanath Ramnarine, the president of the WIPA, as a director with the WICB and the new board president Julian Hunte’s decision to work with the WIPA to resolve all outstanding issues was thought to have precipitated Aanensen’s decision to relinquish his post.

Best and worst
Sourav Ganguly was asked about Brad Hogg’s bowling during the Sydney Test and said “he’s not the worst”. By then he was already on top of Hogg’s dismissal list, and today he fell to the wrist-spinner for the fifth time in his career and the fourth occasion in the series. Hogg, who is playing his sixth Test, has struggled to remove any other Indian, but has Ganguly’s measure.More slip-ups
Australia’s slip catching woes were supposed to be fixed by the return of Matthew Hayden at first slip. Things looked good when Hayden accepted a comfortable take off Virender Sehwag, but late in the day he spilled one that went straight to him from Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s edge. Dhoni was 3 and survived until stumps.Rauf justice
Umpires can’t escape the extra scrutiny since Sydney and Asad Rauf had a troubled start to the Test. Two lbws should have gone the Australians’ way – Mitchell Johnson’s shouts to Rahul Dravid on 3 and Sehwag on 53 were adjacent – but they were not complaining when Hogg picked up Ganguly. Although the ball was spinning away from off stump when it hit Ganguly, Rauf was convinced and added it to his growing list of errors. Fortunately there was not much for him to judge over the final third of the day.Tweak at the top
India’s decision to play five bowlers and leave out Wasim Jaffer meant another change at the top. Dravid had filled the breach in the opening two games but it was Irfan Pathan who walked out here. It was only the third occasion he had opened in a Test, but he seemed comfortable, pushing his first ball for four through square leg. He was beaten a few times, especially against Johnson, and fell nicking to one that moved slightly away.Three in three
It took him 18 balls to get off the mark but Sachin Tendulkar quickly made up for lost time. He announced himself with a glorious front-foot drive off Brett Lee before smashing three consecutive fours off Johnson: the first was drilled to the mid-off fence, the next sliced past gully and the third, the icing on the cake, bulleted through cover. Suddenly he was 16 and motoring towards his 39th century.Perfect set-up, clumsy drop
Lee should have had VVS Laxman on 37, especially given the way he set it all up. Returning for his third spell, he was lashed for four behind gully before slipping in an inswinger that had Laxman pushing and thundering a quick outswinger that produced the edge. Fired in at 145kph, it flew to Adam Gilchrist’s right, but he was too late to take off and could only parry the ball in front of the slips.

There is not much Brett Lee has failed to achieve this summer. He was a key man in Australia’s record-equalling 16 consecutive Test wins, was Player of the Series against both India and Sri Lanka, and collected his first Allan Border Medal. But to really cap off his outstanding season, Lee is desperate to deliver the Pura Cup to New South Wales.The Blues have won the title twice during Lee’s career but because of his higher commitments this is the first opportunity he has had to take part in a decider. Lee recalls watching his brother Shane play in domestic finals and he said beating Victoria in the match that starts on Saturday at the SCG would be extra special.”I’ve played in one-day internationals and in Tests around the world,” Lee told the . “But to get the chance to play in a Pura Cup final, and the chance to play for the team where it all started, I can’t wait.”The Vics are a team you love to hate. They’re a good bunch of guys, but you hate losing to them. They’ve been in good form and I’m looking forward to the final. They’re a strong side.”Lee is the spearhead in a Test-quality New South Wales pace attack that also features Stuart Clark and Nathan Bracken, while the spin option is provided by Stuart MacGill. Despite expectations the SCG pitch will offer plenty of turn, MacGill played down talk that the final would be a bowl-off between him and Victoria’s Bryce McGain ahead of the Test tour of the West Indies in May.”If Bryce is the right man for the job, he’ll be picked for Australia,” MacGill said. “If I’m the right man, I’ll be going. The current selectors are very matter-of-fact and if they see a role for me or Bryce or Dan Cullen, then they’ll choose me, Bryce or Dan.”

The three nominees appointed by the government of Delhi last year to look into Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) matters have proposed a selection committee to end the controversy around three different squads named by Delhi officials, and have also proposed and approved Ajay Jadeja’s name as the coach of the Ranji Trophy team for 2015-16.In the last week Delhi cricket has been mired in controversy, with nobody to oversee the preliminary nets at Feroz Shah Kotla and nobody sure of who is to run the team. Virender Sehwag has already left Delhi for Haryana. Kotla has already given up South Africa’s practice Twenty20 match it was scheduled to host because it won’t be ready in time.In a letter sent to the DDCA executive board, the government nominees have asked all parties concerned to get around their problems and approve the selection committee named by them, which includes former India cricketer Rahul Sanghvi. If the committee is approved by the board, Vinay Lamba and Hari Gidwani will join Sanghvi on the committee. Sunil Dev will be the convenor with no voting powers, and the captain and the coach will be invitees to selection meetings.Captaincy has been a thorny issue with different factions in the DDCA preferring Unmukt Chand and Gautam Gambhir. While Chand is away playing for India A against Bangladesh A in Bangalore, Gambhir has attended only one of the first three days of preliminary nets.The first list, issued by DDCA vice-president Chetan Chauhan, included 45 players. The next list, released by Anil Jain, joint secretary (sports), named 53 players, included the 45 originally named. A third list, this one named by Ashok Sharma, a DDCA director, added three more names. One of the lists named Chand as captain, the other two didn’t have a captain. Two lists nominated Madan Lal as chief mentor, the third had Surinder Khanna.The first three days of the nets have been a shambles according to reports, with no one to co-ordinate what goes on. The pitches were wet, and it was said even basic facilities were missing. There weren’t enough cricket balls, the reported. Former Delhi medium-pacer Amit Bhandari, assistant coach last year, attended the camp on day two on DDCA’s request, but he too stayed away on the third day. Gambhir, being the senior-most member in the squad, and almost forced to supervise the nets on day one, has stayed away since.Chauhan has said Jadeja’s appointment is more or less final, but there is resistance to his nomination in certain quarters.

The former South African fast bowler, Allan Donald, has been appointed by the England & Wales Cricket Board as a consultant to the England team, and will link up with the squad ahead of the third Test at Old Trafford on a short-term contract that will take him through to the end of the NatWest Series against West Indies.Donald, 40, had been linked with an England role ever since the start of the summer, and went public with his interest during last week’s Lord’s Test. Peter Moores, the new head coach, confirmed after the conclusion of that match that the board intended to sit down for discussions.”It’s a big positive that someone of Allan’s stature wants to come along,” said Moores. “I want to make sure that whoever we bring in fits our set-up and it’s the right person and we don’t just think that because it’s a great name we should just pull them in.”In a statement, the ECB said that Donald, who has over 200 Test and one-day caps to his name, will work with the England squad and with other elite England-qualified fast bowlers, and will fall under the direction of Moores and the ECB fast bowling coach, Kevin Shine.The performance of England’s pacemen has come under severe scrutiny since the team was drubbed 5-0 by Australia in last winter’s Ashes, but Moores was keen to ensure that the blame for the failings did not fall on the shoulders of Shine, who succeeded Troy Cooley at the beginning of 2006 and has now reverted to an administrative role at the National Academy in Loughborough.”Peter Moores and ECB have every confidence in Kevin Shine to lead the ECB fast bowling programme and to coach England’s elite fast bowlers,” said John Carr, the director of operations. “Kevin will continue to be involved in the preparation of England fast bowlers around international matches as well as being involved in any decisions to utilise the services of other fast bowling coaches with England teams or in other parts of the fast bowling programme.”

Foot in mouth:
The decision after winning the toss on a flat pitch during a Twenty20 match should be a no-brainer: bat first and put the opposition under pressure during the chase. Even a cheerleader said she would bat first when Robin Jackman asked her the question moments before the toss. However, Harbhajan Singh decided to field, his rationale being that his team preferred to chase given that they fell narrowly short of the target against the Chennai Super Kings. As it turned out, the Mumbai Indians were restricted to 116 for 9 in 20 overs, the 66-run margin being the second largest of the tournament in terms of runs.Smack, smack:
Watching the Kings XI Punjab opener Karan Goel and Kumar Sangakkara batting together presented a sharp contrast: Sangakkara was reeling powerful drives off his bat while Goel struggled to find his timing. He even got hit flush on the helmet by a shirt ball from Dwayne Bravo that was far too quick for him and discovered that he had a bleeding lip. When he was ready to bat again, Bravo ran in and dished out another bouncer but this time Goel was ready. He used the width outside off stump to get under the ball and upper cut it high and far over the third-man boundary, drawing applause from Sangakkara at the other end.Pure intensity:
Time was running out for Brett Lee to make a lasting impact in this season’s IPL for he, along with the other Australians in the Test squad, will head home soon for a training camp ahead of their tour of West Indies. His first delivery to Sanath Jayasuriya – a searing yorker at close to 150 kmh – signaled the start of something special. Sure enough, he exhibited sublime reflexes when he slid low to his left to take a sharp caught and bowled catch off Jayasuriya and then showed off his fitness by swooping on the ball, and diving during the release to hit the stumps direct to run out Luke Ronchi at the striker’s end.Chawla turns the corner:
The first two matches in the IPL were a torrid examination for Piyush Chawla. He went for 19 off one over against Chennai Super Kings and 27 off two overs against Rajasthan Royals. He came on to bowl against Mumbai Indians when Bravo and Robin Uthappa were in the middle of a brisk partnership. He immediately caused problems, mixing up googlies with orthodox legbreaks and also varied his pace. The pressure built up to a crescendo when he bowled three consecutive dot balls to Bravo in the ninth over. With the required run-rate escalating, Bravo tried a rash hoick across the line to the fourth ball and lost middle stump. Chawla finished with fantastic figures of 2 for 16 off four overs.

New Zealand coach John Bracewell has said that wicketkeeper-batsman Gareth Hopkins could play as a specialist batsman in the middle order in the one-day team, following the early retirement of Craig McMillan. With New Zealand set to tour South Africa later this month, Bracewell said that Brendon McCullum would continue as the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper.”We’ve got better resources to cover death batting and finishers than we have to cover openers,” Bracewell told the . “There is the opportunity for a finisher like Gareth Hopkins to come in as a specialist there.”McCullum was promoted as an opener after former captain and regular opener Stephen Fleming quit one-dayers after the World Cup. McCullum partnered Lou Vincent during the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa and earned praise from Bracewell for his abilities as a wicketkeeper. Hopkins, who has played five ODIs for New Zealand, was part of the squad in South Africa but didn’t get a game.”Brendon will keep the gloves as he is far and away our best keeper,” Bracewell said. “Technically I think he is the best keeper in the world – he now needs to become the best keeper-batsman in the world.”Commenting on McMillian’s sudden retirement, Bracwell said it was unfortunate he chose to quit, though at the same time respected the decision.”He was batting so well. He was hitting the ball hard down the ground, rotating the strike and had a good attitude to where he was going with his cricket. He had found quite a good balance. He’s made the choice for the right reason and we will miss him.”

Pakistan’s top cricketers have pledged to raise funds for victims of the recent cyclone and subsequent floods that devastated the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan.Salman Butt, Pakistan’s vice-captain, said some cricketers had visited the flood-affected areas and were deeply moved by the plight of those living in the region.”We have decided to help raise funds for the Islamic Relief Pakistan (IRP) which is providing assistance to the victims in both provinces,” Butt said.Nearly 300 people died during the floods – many more are missing – and close to two million people are said to be affected. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes.Current cricketers, including Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir and Misbah-ul-Haq will also work for the cause. Afridi, who toured the devastated areas said, “We were moved by the scenes that we witnessed. I believe it’s our responsibility to come to the rescue of those people who have lost their dear ones, homes and livelihood.”A group of former cricketers, including Rashid Latif, Moin Khan and Jalaluddin, are also actively involved with the organisation’s fund-raising activities. Islamic Relief is an NGO which conducts relief operations all over the world. It was established in 1984 in USA and in 1992 established its subsidiary in Pakistan. It plans to hold a series of fund-raising auctions in the US and UK in the near future.