Category Uncategorized

Sharad Diwadkar has resigned from his post as executive secretary to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), citing ill-health as the reason for his withdrawal.Diwadkar, a former Bombay allrounder, replaced Polly Umrigar as executive secretary in 1997 after Umrigar resigned due to dissatisfaction with the Board’s functioning.”I will continue to function till the Working Committee meeting, in Delhi on July 2 and 3, where they will decide when to relieve me,” said Diwadkar, who has been advised rest by his doctors.

Northern Districts’ Scott Styris is not the only New Zealander getting some early season cricket in Australia this summer.Styris has been playing for Gordon in the Sydney premier competition over the last three weekends.But Tama Canning, the Auckland all-rounder who was on the verge of New Zealand selection last summer, turned out for Fremantle in the Perth competition over the weekend.He played in a two-day game against Subiaco-Floreat and took two for 97 as Subiaco made 344/4. In Fremantle’s innings of 170, Canning scored 29 as the side was well beaten on the first innings.Canning was cleared by Auckland Cricket to play in Perth, where his family are based, en route to Auckland where he will play in the Labour Weekend club games.

Wellington kept their hopes of reaching Sunday’s semi-finals alive with a 21-run victory over Central Districts in Palmerston North. Stephen Fleming’s 45 was one of many useful contributions from the Wellington batsmen, who were led by Neal Parlane’s attacking 65, which included seven fours and two sixes, as they posted 274 for 8. After being boosted by Ewen Thompson’s 5 for 45, the home side’s chase began well as they reached 89 for 1, but they lost three quick wickets before Mathew Sinclair (69) regained control with Bevan Griggs (74). However, they were unable to keep up with the required rate and were dismissed in the 48th over, with Iain O’Brien capturing 4 for 44 and Jeetan Patel closing out the game with 4 for 47. The result left Wellington in third on 19 points while their opponents have 18 with one round of group matches remaining.Auckland will finish top of the State Shield table and have a home final even if they lose to Central Districts on Wednesday after a tight five-run win over Northern Districts in Hamilton. The match was reduced to 49 overs and Auckland’s total of 278 for 7 relied on contributions of 77 from Richard Jones and 72 from Scott Styris, who warmed up for the important fourth ODI against England on Wednesday. Andrew Strauss put Northern Districts in a strong position with 106 from 127 balls and when he left Peter McGlashan took over, blasting 62 off 26, including five sixes. It was not enough and the home side, which is last, narrowly missed out on staying in the race for the finals.Rain in the lead-up to the game ruined the clash between Canterbury and Otago in Christchurch. The conditions were fine, but the ground was not fit for play due to the wet weather over the previous week. Both teams earned a couple of points, with Canterbury in second on 21 while Otago are tied on 18 with Central Districts.

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.

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.

After Monday’s curtain-raiser that never was, Sri Lanka and India willattempt to breathe some life into the Unitech Cup at the Premadasa Stadiumon Wednesday, though another heavy downpour late on Tuesday evening wasperhaps a portent of what lay ahead. Sri Lanka, always formidableopponents on their own soil, start as favourites, but Rahul Dravidinsisted that the constant talk of security over the past 24 hours hadn’tbeen preying on the minds of his players. “For others, the focus mighthave gone off cricket, but as far as we’re concerned, it’s always been onit.”It will need to be, because India’s record in Sri Lanka is nothing to crowabout. The hosts have won 19 of 33 matches, with India victorious only onnine occasions. At the Premadasa, the record is even more skewed, with SriLanka prevailing on 12 occasions to India’s five. The past though countsfor little these days, with India having given Pakistan a 4-1 hammeringacross the border and Sri Lanka humiliating England 5-0 less than twomonths ago.For the Indians, the return of Sachin Tendulkar, who last wore thesky-blue one-day kit at Multan in February, is a massive boost, and heappeared in excellent touch when the team practised at the Premadasa onTuesday afternoon. The batting order otherwise picks itself, though feverand a bad cold kept Mohammad Kaif away from practice. In the event of himfailing to recover, Suresh Raina or Dinesh Mongia will come into themiddle order.The bowling selection won’t be quite as straightforward. Normally, thePremadasa has a spin-friendly reputation, but with so much rain havingfallen over the past few days, both teams could go in with pace-heavyattacks. With India having Virender Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh toshare the slow-bowling burden with Harbhajan Singh, Ramesh Powar may haveto sit out, with Sreesanth and Munaf Patel bolstering the new-ball pairingof Irfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar.Sri Lanka, after their romp through England, have no such selectionconundrums. Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga have been in dazzling format the top of the order, while Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara areenjoying the sort of purple patches that can best be described asfrightening for opponents, and the exuberant hitting of TillakaratneDilshan and Chamara Kapugedera is usually required only to apply thefinishing touches.Traditionally, Sri Lanka have triumphed with spin at the Premadasa, but inthese wet conditions, they too might leave out the legspin of MalingaBandara in favour of the X-factor pace of Lasith Malinga. MuttiahMuralitharan will doubtless be the main threat, come rain or shine, andhow the Indian batsmen cope with the questions he poses in the middleovers might well dictate the outcome of the game.SquadsIndia (likely): 1 Rahul Dravid (capt), 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 IrfanPathan, 4 Virender Sehwag, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 MahendraSingh Dhoni (wk), 8 Ajit Agarkar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Sreesanth, 11Munaf Patel.Sri Lanka (likely): 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 MahelaJayawardene (capt), 4 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 6Chamara Kapugedera, 7 Farveez Maharoof, 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 DilharaFernando, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11. Lasith Malinga.

An Australian under-19 side picked with the Youth World Cup in mind will play five one-day matches against India under-19 in September. Brian McFadyen, the coach, said the tour would give the 13-man squad valuable experience of the subcontinent’s conditions.McFadyen, the former Tasmania coach, said the trip would also offer the selectors a chance to look at the players for the World Cup. “The squad will certainly provide an insight into some of Australia’s most promising juniors,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to the tour and have selected a squad that we think is well balanced and capable of success.”Australia will begin with a three-day training camp at the Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence in Brisbane before travelling to India for matches at Faridabad, Mohali, Dharamshala and Delhi between September 18 and 28.Australia under-19 squad
Jackson Bird (NSW), Patrick Darwen (NSW), Aaron Finch (Vic), Ben Gledhill (Qld), Moises Henriques (NSW), Shannon Hurn (SA), Usman Khawaja (NSW), Jack McNamara (Vic), Graeme Skennar (Qld), Tom Stray (Vic), Chris Thompson (WA), David Warner (NSW), Philip Wells (NSW).

Martin Snedden, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, has insisted that the board will conduct a rational analysis of the team’s performance in England, rather than jump to hasty conclusions.According to a report in The Press, a New Zealand daily, Snedden said: “We must look at this rationally and methodically rather than reacting too quickly. The thoughts you get from the heat of the battle are often different to those you get a few weeks later with some time for things to sink in.”Because it is an England tour people seem more intensely interested in it than perhaps going to the subcontinent. I can understand people reacting emotionally to the losses and that’s good because they have a passion for the game.” New Zealand were thrashed three-nil in the recently concluded Test series, and have lost five of their last eight Tests.The media in New Zealand have been especially critical of the decision to send only a 14-man squad for the Test series. Two of the bowlers in that line-up, Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey, weren’t completely fit when they left for England, prompting critics to suggest that back-ups for them should have been ready. However, Snedden dismissed that factor being one of the reasons for the defeat. “People have latched onto the squad number and the injury issue but no-one has been able to establish a plausible link between them costing the team those matches.”What also irked many experts was the decision to send six support staff with the line-up, but Snedden explained that he was satisfied by the explanation provided by John Bracewell, the coach, for the composition of the squad. “He [Bracewell] believed there was enough cover and depth in most areas except perhaps the spin bowling,” Snedden said. “But he reasoned that conditions early season in England do not favour spinners. While several players were over in England, like James Franklin and Mathew Sinclair, it was arguable whether Wiseman was required.”Even with the 14 players Kyle Mills had little match play because there was only three first-class games before the first Test, so what would the 15th have been doing?”The situation with Shane Bond was that we believed it would be better to have him on the tour than staying at home in winter. We hoped in a best-case scenario he might play the second and third Tests and were moving in that direction until he sustained the setback in the last county game before the first Test. Then we just ran out of time.”Bracewell subsequently blamed the pitches for the debacle, but Snedden had a more straightforward explanation. “As hard as it is for us to accept, sometimes our players don’t perform to their best and the opposition plays better.”

James Hibberd is keeping his fingers firmly crossed that a match winning performance for Calmore Sports against Hampshire’s newly promoted Academy side will boost his prospects of further trials with Kent.The 21-year old all-rounder took three wickets and struck a decisive half-century as Calmore sent the Young Hawks spinning to a seven-wicket ECB Southern Electric Premier League, Division 1 debut defeat at Loperwood Park.But since producing an impressive two-wicket display with the ball in Kent’s Second XI Trophy final success against Hampshire II at the Rose Bowl last September, the Canterbury trail appears to have gone cold for Hibberd."I packed up my full-time job in order to try and make it in the pro game," Hibberd said."But I’ve heard nothing from Kent since going down to Canterbury for practice in late March and don’t really know where I stand at the moment."I’d like to give it a crack and play some more Second XI games down there (Kent) and I’m just waiting, hopefully, on the end of the phone."Hibberd, who carried off the Premier League’s prestigious Young Cricketer award last summer, certainly looked a class act as Calmore got the better of the weather to see off the young Hampshire hopefuls.He struck two early blows after Academy captain Tony Middleton had surprisingly chosen to bat under threatening, rain-leaden skies.He darted the first ball of the match back to pin Martin Bushell leg before and then snapped up a return catch to remove Kevin Latouf.But promising King Edward VI School batsman Alex Richardson (32) and Peter Hammond wrested the initiative away from Calmore, easing the Academy to 52-2 after 11.1 overs when heavy rain forced a near 90 minute delay.Umpires Mike Izzard and Dave Kirk were within five minutes or so of calling the match off due to the wet and greasy conditions.Many captains would have called it a day but, to his credit Middleton, wanted to his youngsters to play saying: "They won’t learn a lot from sitting on their backsides in the dressing room. "This is all about development and I wanted them back out on the pitch."Richardson (32) and Hammond promptly took 24 runs off two overs immediately after the resumption – only for the KES youngster to have his stumps flattened by Paul Cass, who made steady inroads into the heart of the Academy middle-order.The Bramshaw-based all-rounder quickly whipped out Tom Burrows, and was on a hat-trick after removing Mitchel Stokes (16) and leg before victim Ian Hilsum in consecutive deliveries.His spell of 4-40 left the Young Hawks in some disarray at 117-7, but Hammond, albeit restrained, kept the score ticking along, bringing up a well deserved fifty before being stumped by the quick hands of Stuart Bailey at 144-8.Left-hander David Griffiths (24 not out) assumed Hammond’s mantle, playing some crisp shots in a late partnership with Loperwood favourite Matt Metcalfe (16) as the Academy moved on to 190-9.But the loss of 23 overs playing time carved into the Hampshire innings, leaving Calmore with a relatively straight-forward ask of 103 off 27 overs.Initially, it proved anything but academic – Griffiths, the Shanklin-based teenager with a wealth of talent, quickly accounting for Cass and James Rose.But the loss of those two early wickets simply set the stage for Hibberd to play the role of match winner.He went for his shots, playing several sumptuous shots through the mid-on and mid-off `V’ as the Academy youngsters were pushed on to the back foot.Hibberd’s batting certainly impressed Middleton, who might even be tempted to give the Kent hopeful another crack in Hampshire’s colours in this week’s Second XI Rose Bowl friendlies.The Sholing all-rounder hit 53, totally dominating the 62-run third-wicket partnership with the unflappable Mark Boston, whose 26 not out steered Calmore to a crucial victory.Middleton, though disappointed with the result, drew a lot of satisfaction from the match. "I learned quite a lot about my players on Saturday," he said."The challenges Premier One cricket will bring is going to be a big test for these young cricketers."They are going to be playing against some very good club cricketers – and a few class ones from overseas – and it’s going to be an interesting season for them."Calmore, meanwhile, were delighted.A homely club, they have not replaced some of the top players (like Martin Kellaway) they have lost in recent seasons.They are expected to struggle this season, but a win against the Academy has given the Loperwood Park club a timely fillip before daunting tests against South Wilts and Havant in the next fortnight.

Government says it will not rest until Barbados’ cricket has beenrestored to the pinnacle of West Indies cricket.And in an effort to speed up the process, Prime Minister Owen Arthurhas accepted a Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) development plan,which sets out a programme designed to make Barbados’ cricket strongagain.A task force of Government and BCA officials has been constituted sothat a plan of action can be implemented at the earliest opportunity.The disclosure was made by Arthur in an address during a celebrationdinner to honour former Barbados and West Indies fast bowler, CharlieGriffith, at the Sherbourne Conference Centre on Saturday night.It [the plan] has nothing to do with the development of the stands atKensington Oval although that is important too but it has to do with aprogramme to put back Barbados’ cricket at the pinnacle of West Indiescricket, where it properly belongs, Arthur said.The psyche of every Barbadian has been badly bruised by every horribledescent of our cricket. As a nation we have been reduced and we shallnot rest until the fortunes of our cricket have been restored.The plan, which was presented to Government last week by BCA presidentStephen Alleyne, identified nine development priorities which wouldfacilitate the articulation of specific, measurable, achievable,relevant and time-specific goals against which the implementation ofthe plan can be evaluated and controlled.