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The PCB has been directed to provide all relevant material pertaining to the punishments handed out to seven national cricketers

Cricinfo staff30-Apr-2010The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been directed to provide all relevant material pertaining to the punishments handed out to seven of the country’s leading cricketers, including the inquiry report, as the independent arbitrator Irfan Qadir began his hearing into their cases on Friday.”I have instructed the PCB to give the required material so that lawyers [of the players] come well prepared in the next hearing for arguments,” Qadir told reporters. This was based on requests placed by the lawyers of Younis, Malik and Naved, who appeared before Qadir today.The PCB imposed the fines and bans after Pakistan’s disastrous performance on the tour of Australia earlier this year. Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan were banned indefinitely while Shoaib Malik and Naved-ul-Hasan were banned for one year. Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers – Kamran and Umar – were fined Rs. 2-3 million ($24,000-35,000) and put on six-month probations.Yousuf and Younis had been charged with causing infighting in the team, but the PCB did not furnish clear reasons for the bans on Malik and Naved. The fines on Afridi and the Akmal brothers were more clear-cut – Afridi was caught biting the ball during the final ODI, while the Akmal brothers openly opposed the team management’s decision over Kamran’s participation in the third Test. All the punished players barring Yousuf, who announced his retirement from the game in late March, formally appealed against the punishments.Younis’ next hearing will be held on May 8, while Malik and Naved will reappear before the arbitrator on May 22. Younis’ lawyer Mohammad Ahmed Qayyum is reported to have asked for the trial to be open to the media, which would be considered before the next hearing.”I still feel my client’s hands are clean as he did nothing wrong,” Qayyum said. “So far we don’t even know on what grounds PCB gave Younis such a punishment.”

Brown’s departure comes at a tumultuous time after the county posted £1.19m losses with relocation on the agenda

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2024Gloucestershire have announced that chief executive Will Brown will leave the club this summer, ending his 11-year association with the county.Brown succeeded Tom Richardson in 2013 and oversaw a Royal London Cup win in 2015 and promotion to Division One. Bristol’s County Ground has also become a regular host of international men’s and women’s cricket thanks to redevelopments that included the installation of floodlights a decade ago. He also pushed the club to become more environmentally sustainable while establishing itself as a leader in cricket for its community work.His departure comes at a challenging time with the county uncertain of its future. Last month, Gloucestershire reported a loss of £1.19 million in its annual accounts, more than twice the shortfall of £570,000 from the previous period in 2022/23.The cost of living crisis, day-to-day running costs, and a washed-out ODI at Bristol between England and Ireland in September 2023 were blamed for the current situation. Given the club’s non-Test and Hundred hosting status, those internationals usually provide a much-needed windfall for the counties. An independent audit by chartered accountants, Saffery LLP, revealed net liabilities of £5,019,000, leaving Gloucestershire in breach of its banking covenants and casting “significant doubt on the club’s ability to continue as a going concern”.The club’s dire financial situation has led it to explore selling its historic ground at Nevill Road. Purchased with the assistance of WG Grace in 1889, it is estimated to be worth between £25 and £40 million now. Gloucestershire have already identified a site to build a new venue, north of Bristol near the M4.At the end of April, Gloucestershire members voted out David Jones as chair, while acting chair Steve Nelson and honorary treasurer Rebecca Watkin will also leave at the end of the season. Last week, Arron Banks, co-founder of the Leave.EU campaign, declared his interest in taking over the club in an open letter to members. In a statement released on Wednesday, Brown stated his decision to move on was made earlier this year.”I have absolutely loved my time at Gloucestershire Cricket and it has been one of the greatest honours of my life to serve the club I have supported my whole life.”The decision to leave is not one I have taken lightly and it has taken me months of agonising to reach this point. This decision is one I made much earlier in the year and is a personal one based on what I believe the club needs and my own future, especially in light of my bike accident of last year.”I leave in the knowledge that we have a fantastic group of players, coaches, staff and volunteers who are completely dedicated to the Club and its future.””In the last few months we have re-structured our coaching and finance departments, acquired financial support for the future of the Club, secured Men’s and Women’s International cricket all the way through to 2031 and are making progress in our exploration of a move from the Nevil Road site.”Over the next few months up until my departure we will also secure additional investment into Women & Girls cricket locally, confirm our new County Partnership Agreement (CPA) with the ECB, bid for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 and work with the ECB on the future of the Hundred and Gloucestershire’s role within in it.”Commenting on Brown’s departure, acting chair Steve Nelson said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Will over the last five years and we are very grateful for all he has done at Nevil Road. His tenure has seen a step change in hosting international cricket and this will very much be his legacy to the club.”He has always been a very positive leader, a skill that came to the fore when faced with the difficult challenges of running the club throughout the pandemic. This needed him to be truly resilient, taking others with him, and he rose to the challenge in these difficult times. He has also worked tirelessly on ensuring the club builds its reputation for environmental sustainability and community work which will be key building blocks for the future success of the club.”All of us at Gloucestershire wish him the very best in whatever challenge he takes on next and he will be missed!””Gloucestershire County Cricket Club board are already working on plans for the leadership of the club in in the short and long term, including recruiting a new CEO. Members will be kept informed as these plans develop over the coming weeks.”

Siddle, Boyce, Conway’s efforts with the ball in vain for Strikers in Lynn’s last BBL game of the season

Tristan Lavalette14-Jan-2023Brisbane Heat revived their struggling BBL season and spoiled the returns of Travis Head and Alex Carey with a 17-run victory over Adelaide Strikers in sweltering conditions.After being sent in, under-pressure Heat mustered a modest 154 in temperatures nudging 40 degrees celsius at the Adelaide Oval.But they bowled superbly with seamer James Bazley claiming three wickets to thwart Strikers’ star-studded batting order and sour former Heat star Chris Lynn’s final BBL match of the season.It was the second time Heat beat Strikers this season to climb off the bottom of the ladder.

Johnson’s rapid pace again impresses

Tearaway Spencer Johnson was a shining light in Heat’s big home loss to Perth Scorchers with fiery bowling in his BBL debut.There was intrigue if the left-arm quick could back it up and Johnson did just that with a maiden over to start, where he hit speeds of 150kmh to fluster Lynn. So impressive was Johnson that Australian great Adam Gilchrist on the Fox broadcast likened the 27-year-old to his namesake Mitchell Johnson.But Johnson, who played in the 50-over Marsh Cup previously for South Australia and was on Adelaide Strikers’ list last season, was brought back to earth in his next over by a typically fearless Lynn.He returned in the 16th over amid the power surge and impressively held his nerve. Johnson then claimed his maiden BBL wicket with a perfect yorker to knock over Wes Agar to cap another fine performance.

Strikers’ star-studded batting order fail to fire

There was much anticipation over the return of skipper Head, whose belligerent Test batting against West Indies and South Africa seemingly had him primed for the BBL. But Head lasted just two balls after being bowled by left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann much to the disappointment of the home faithful.New batter Lynn was keen to finish his strong first campaign with Strikers on a high and started with a gorgeous drive to the boundary off Kuhnemann. But he was bogged down by Johnson before falling to Kuhnemann for 22 off 24 balls. It was a disappointment for Lynn, who finished with 416 runs at a strike-rate of 141 from 11 matches.Returning from Test duties, Alex Carey fell in the next over for just two and Strikers’ chase never recovered.

Labuschagne falls short of maiden BBL half-century

The returns of Test trio Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw and skipper Usman Khawaja failed to spark Heat against Scorchers.They hoped to cash in at the traditionally batting-friendly Adelaide Oval, but Khawaja fell for two in the third over before Labuschagne and Renshaw turned things around with a 42-run third-wicket partnership.Renshaw looked in sweet touch, but for the second straight game couldn’t kick on. With inventiveness, including well executed scoops, Labuschagne anchored the innings as he eyed a maiden BBL half-century in his 19th match.But he fell short and Heat struggled in the backend. English batter Sam Hain, who mostly grew up in Australia and played for their Under-19s side, was unluckily run out at the non-striker’s end after a touch from spinner Ben Manenti in his follow through. He made just six, but Heat had cobbled together a total that surprisingly proved more than enough.

Boyce winds back the clock

Former Australia T20 legspinner Cameron Boyce has proven a solid replacement for talisman Rashid Khan, who left to play in South Africa’s new T20 league.The 33-year-old had bowled well without reward in Strikers’ last two matches before making an impact on a slow surface offering some spin.He came into the attack in the sixth over with Strikers under pressure from big-hitting opener Josh Brown. Boyce smartly took pace off the ball to lure Brown into a false shot for his first wicket of the season.He then bowled well during the middle overs and broke a dangerous partnership between Renshaw and Labuschagne.Boyce fortunately picked up the wicket of Renshaw with a half-tracker, but was rewarded after building pressure through mixing up his speed.Having once been a much-hyped prospect, playing seven T20Is from 2014-16, Boyce’s career was derailed by injuries before he spectacularly re-emerged late last season with four wickets in four balls for Melbourne Renegades against Sydney Thunder.It led to being recruited by Strikers, who wanted suitable cover for Rashid which has proven prophetic so far. After he finished his four-over spell, Boyce went off the ground with a suspected calf niggle and Strikers will be hoping it is not a serious injury.

Australia take cautious approach to side strain recovery, Boland expected to be fit after SCG tumble

Andrew McGlashan07-Jan-2022Josh Hazlewood will miss the final Ashes Test in Hobart as Australia continue to take a cautious approach to his recovery from the side strain he picked up in the opening match at the Gabba.However, Australia are confident that Scott Boland will have no major ill-effects from the tumble he took on the final ball of the second session at the SCG which left him needing a scan on his ribs after his elbow jammed into his side.Boland did not bowl after tea, having claimed two wickets during the opening session as England fell to 36 for 4, but would have been able to return late in the day if needed. He may not be used again in the first innings if Australia wrap it up quickly but should be available for the final innings of the match.If Hazlewood had been fit for this Test, Boland would have been left out despite his stunning 6 for 7 at the MCG. Now he will hope to play three matches in a row, although will face pressure from Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser who both featured in the Adelaide day-night Test.Scott Boland clutches his side after slipping on release•Getty Images

Coach Justin Langer said after the third day’s play in Sydney that Hazlewood would be held back for Australia’s upcoming white-ball cricket which includes an ODI series and one-off T20I against New Zealand followed by a T20I series against Sri Lanka which CA confirmed on Saturday morning”Unfortunately Josh hasn’t come up, hopefully he’ll be right for the white-ball game,” he said. “It’s been really tough on him, he’s been really hanging out to play this Ashes like everyone.”A CA statement said: “Hazlewood, the national selection panel and sports science and sports medicine ream agreed he would remain in Sydney for the next three weeks before joining the squad for the One-Day International Series against New Zealand and T20 International Series against Sri Lanka.”The New Zealand and Sri Lanka series will form part of his preparations for the Test and white-ball tour of Pakistan from early March.”Langer added that Richardson, who has been nursing a lower leg problem since the second Test where he took a five-wicket haul, would be in contention under lights in Hobart.”To have guys like Michael Neser and Jhye… they’ll both be in contention. It’s exciting to have these options with a couple of our players going down.”Related

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Mitchell Starc is the only specialist Australia quick to have played every Test of the series with captain Pat Cummins forced to sit out Adelaide after being a close contact of a Covid case.Having dominated the first session at the SCG – stringing together 11 maidens in a row either side of lunch while taking three wickets – Australia’s attack came under sustained pressure for the first time in the series from Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, although they have remained well ahead in the contest, to pose a few questions to Cummins.”I thought our first two hours, similar to what we’ve seen this whole Test series, was as relentless bowling as I’ve seen from Australian cricket,” Langer said. “Then as we’ve been waiting for throughout the series, a great fightback. I thought Ben Stokes was courageous with his side [injury], Jonny Bairstow a brilliant Test hundred, he got a rough knock on his thumb.”England had the better of us in the second two sessions. That will be good for Pat and his captaincy development. It can’t always be rainbows and butterflies as he’s probably found so far. We’ll talk about how we are going to attack England in the morning but so far he hasn’t put a foot wrong and don’t think he has today, either.”

Ollie Pope unbeaten on 91 at close while Jos Buttler makes first half-century in eight Tests

The Report by Valkerie Baynes24-Jul-2020A steadying innings from Ollie Pope rescued England in the face of some threatening West Indies bowling early on the opening day of the series-deciding Test at Emirates Old Trafford.At the close of play, and with rain expected to feature heavily on Saturday, Pope was unbeaten just nine runs shy of his century with England 258 for 4 after they had been 47 for 2 before lunch and 92 for 3 after the break.Rory Burns contributed 57 but, with England effectively a batsman down after leaving out Zak Crawley to accommodate an extra seamer in the likely event that Ben Stokes was unable to bowl, the hosts ideally needed someone to convert a start, especially after a shaky beginning to their innings.Kemar Roach did the most damage, claiming 2 for 56 including the important wicket of Stokes, as he moved within one wicket of becoming the ninth West Indies bowler to reach the 200-mark in Tests.Jos Buttler helped England’s cause and his own, having come into this match under pressure after a year in which he has averaged 21.26 from 12 Tests and scores of 35, 9, 40 and 0 for this series. On this occasion, he managed 56 off 120 deliveries, his first half-century in a Test since September 2019, some 15 innings ago.Pope had been quiet in the previous two matches also, with a high score of 12*, but he went into his 10th Test with an unbeaten century and a fifty under his belt this year, against South Africa, and a career average of 39.41.His innings was assured, coming off 142 balls and including 11 fours. He came in with his side three wickets down, with England’s batsmen having all moved up a place after Crawley’s omission, leaving Joe Root back at No. 3 rather than his preferred berth at No. 4.Dom Sibley, whose marathon 120 helped set up England’s 113-run victory in the second Test, was out for nought on the sixth ball of the match, lbw to an excellent Roach delivery that angled into the stumps off a length and straightened slightly.A wave of concern surely rippled through West Indies’ ranks when Shannon Gabriel pulled up two balls into his fourth over, the eighth of the day, with an apparent leg problem. Having won the toss and elected to bowl with two spinners, bringing in Rahkeem Cornwall for Alzarri Joseph, the tourists were relieved when Gabriel returned to the field after the first drinks break after a stretch to alleviate “some general tightness”.It was West Indies’ other spinner, Roston Chase, who struck from the field to remove Root. As Burns steered Cornwall towards third man, Root set off for a quick single but Chase swooped on the ball and fired it into the keeper’s end, removing the bail with a direct hit that caught Root short of his crease.Stokes, who admitted on the morning of the match to having felt better after injuring his quad muscle while bowling late on the final day of the second Test, in which he played a starring role with bat and ball, was thrust into the action perhaps before he would have liked with Root’s dismissal. He reached 20 before Roach struck again with a gem of a delivery that beat Stokes’ forward defence and crashed into middle and off stump.Burns had been ticking along nicely before he fell thanks to the sharpest of slips catches by Cornwall, thrusting his hand out to snatch a top edge from an attempted cut off the bowling of Chase to leave England 122 for 4.While Burns had shared in promising partnerships with Root, Stokes and Pope, England had to wait until Pope and Buttler came together for their first 50-plus union of the match, and their unbroken stand of 136 was just what England needed.Pope survived an appeal for lbw to Gabriel, which was adjudged not out before West Indies’ review. Hawk-Eye showed the ball, which hit Pope just above the knee roll, was clipping the bails and the decision stayed with the on-field umpire’s call.Pope responded with a four off Gabriel two balls later to move to 47 and brought up his fifty with a boundary off Jason Holder in the next over.Another West Indies review went Pope’s way when Cornwall, making his first appearance in this series, struck him on the pad and shouted heartily in appeal but replays showed the ball was turning too much and missing leg stump.From there Pope and Buttler scored reasonably freely, Buttler bringing up his fifty with two runs punched through the covers off Chase.Buttler, who sacrificed his wicket chasing much-needed quick runs for his side during England’s second innings in the previous Test, mixed control with his trademark free hitting, his innings including five fours and two sixes.West Indies took the second new ball in the 83rd over but the batsmen, both now set, navigated the remaining 3.4 overs before bad light stopped play.The opening day of the Test was designated #RedForRuth Day, and helped raise in excess of £280,000 for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, a charity set up in honour of former England captain Andrew Strauss’ wife, who died in 2018 from a rare form of lung cancer. The charity aims to fund research into the disease and provide support for families facing the loss of a parent. Players and staff from both sides wore red caps before play commenced to mark the occasion.Both sides and their support staff also took a knee before the start of play in spport of the Black Lives Matter movement, as they have done throughout the series.

Lasith Malinga and Isara Udana conceded just 17 runs in their last four overs as South Africa were forced to win the contest via a one-over eliminator

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Mar-2019Super Over
Sri Lanka’s spinners squeezed and throttled and tugged down the opposition run rate in defence of a modest score, but it was the best slow bowler on show – Imran Tahir – who saw South Africa through a tense Super Over situation, and suggested that whatever his team-mates are like, he is capable of keeping his cool in tough circumstances.Not choking is important for South Africa. They are in a World Cup year. They have a history of wilting in the heat of a close finish. But in conceding only five runs in the Super Over, Tahir suggested there are players in South Africa’s ranks who can thrive in tense circumstances. So too David Miller, who had earlier top-scored with 41 off 23 balls, before hitting a six and a four off Lasith Malinga’s Super Over to set the opposition a target of 15. With Tahir in South Africa’s ranks, that target always seemed unlikely for Sri Lanka.Even before the Super Over, though, this was an intriguing low-scoring thriller, during which each team had its moments, even if South Africa were ascendant for the majority. When they had restricted Sri Lanka for 134 for 7 on a slow-ish but not unplayable Newlands surface, the hosts may have expected to cruise to victory. Dhananjaya de Silva, Akila Dananjaya and Jeffrey Vandersay, however, took a wicket apiece and conceded only 81 in their 12 combined overs.Although the spinners were excellent, Malinga was the real star of the Sri Lanka bowling innings. He conceded a four off his second ball – and that only off an outside edge off Quinton de Kock’s bat, that flew to the third-man boundary. He did not allow the opposition a boundary thereafter in regular play, bowling an especially outstanding pair of death overs, in which his figures were three runs for two wickets.Thanks to Malinga, Isuru Udana still had five to defend off the last over of the innings. He conceded a single to JP Duminy – the last recognised batsman – first ball, then delivered two slower-ball dot balls to Dale Steyn to make the equation four from three balls. Duminy was run out soon after, but then off the last ball of regular play, perhaps, came the key moment of the innings.South Africa had two to get, with No. 10 batsman Tahir on strike. He bottom-edged the last ball of the innings to keeper Niroshan Dickwella, who should have easily run out non-striker Steyn and won Sri Lanka the match. Dickwella, though, failed to take his glove off, and his shy at the strikers’ end missed – Steyn comfortably out by a couple of metres had Dickwella hit at least one of the stumps. His team-mates’ annoyance at Dickwella’s mistake was plainly obvious in the break between regular play and the Super Over.Getty Images

Tahir’s final over was perhaps the most dramatic performance of an intense T20 match, but Miller’s performance was also key to South Africa’s victory. Not only did he eventually pummel Malinga – who had figures of 2 for 11 from his four overs in regular play – he had also led South Africa past 100 in the chase.Miller had arrived at the crease with the score on 52 for 3 and South Africa tracking at less than a run a ball – Sri Lanka’s spinners having tied the hosts down. He was immediately aggressive, however, slapping Vandersay for four through cover first ball, before slog sweeping him to the boundary in Vandersay’s next over.It was against Udana, though, that Miller truly accelerated, and swung the match in favour of South Africa. In the 15th over of the innings, with South Africa needing 52 off 36 balls, Miller smoked three fours, a six and a two, single-handedly taking 20 off that over.Malinga’s outstanding death overs would later see Miller dismissed, and push Sri Lanka to a position where they could dream again with South Africa’s tailenders now in residence at the crease. Slower-ball specialist Udana did deliver an excellent final over, in which the only real pockmark for Sri Lanka was Dickwella’s game-defining missed run-out.Earlier, Kamindu Mendis had been the only Sri Lanka batsman who looked halfway fluent on this pitch, even if he did score all but one of his boundaries – three fours and two sixes in total – off the first eight deliveries that he faced. In that initial period, he hit his first six by top-edging Kagiso Rabada over third man, before ramping him over the same boundary next ball. Kamindu scored 41 off 29 balls, but none of his team-mates could cross 20.Andile Phehlukwayo was the best of South Africa’s bowlers, taking 3 for 25 from his four overs. Lutho Sipamla was the next best, claiming 1 for 19. All South Africa’s bowlers took at least one wicket apiece.

South Africa will watch captain Faf du Plessis’ progress till the first Test which starts from March 1, while fast bowler Dale Steyn is unlikely to be considered till the third Test

Firdose Moonda19-Feb-2018AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock are expected to be fit for the start of South Africa’s Test series against Australia from March 1, but doubts remain on whether captain Faf du Plessis and middle-order batsman Temba Bavuma will be ready.While de Villiers and de Kock are recovering from knee and wrist injuries respectively, du Plessis and Bavuma are nursing broken fingers. South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee told ESPNcricinfo that a call on their availability will only be taken as the series draws closer. Dale Steyn, who is recovering from a heel injury, is not likely to be up for selection until at least the third Test in Cape Town on March 22.”We’ve obviously had a lot of senior guys out injured and it’s had an effect,” Moosajee said. “But we are sure AB and Quinton will be ready for the first Test and we are hopeful Faf will be. When he was diagnosed [on February 2] we knew he would require four to six weeks recovery time, which takes us, at the earliest, to the first week in March. So we have to take it on a week-by-week basis and see how he is progressing. The same with Temba, though he might be out for a week more than Faf.”Du Plessis’ availability is crucial not only because he is the captain but because South Africa desperately need bulk in their batting. The evidence of the limited-overs series against India aside, their new strategy of playing six specialist batsmen with the out-of-form de Kock at No. 6 means that du Plessis’ runs will be as important as his leadership.He also has a strong record and a fiery history against Australia, with an average of 59.14, a defiant century on debut in Adelaide, and a starring role in the series win in 2016, partly coloured with controversy. Du Plessis was infamously involved in the “mintgate” saga in which he was fined for ball tampering after shining the ball with saliva that had come into contact with a mint in his mouth. He will doubtless be itching to meet Australia again.AB de Villiers strikes an elegant pose•AFP

With de Villiers and de Kock fit, Bavuma’s return is less necessary right now as he would likely only be among the reserves. Theunis de Bruyn, the other back-up batsmen who has been around the squad, may even have inched ahead of Bavuma with scores of 190 and 83 in two of his last three first-class innings.As for Steyn, his wait to become South Africa’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker will grow even longer. He has 419 scalps and is only three away from overtaking Shaun Pollock, but he needs to prove his fitness first. Steyn broke down during the New Year’s Test against India – his first since November 2016 – and will likely have to play some first-class cricket before being reconsidered for the Test squad. He will either take part in the round of domestic fixtures that starts on the same day as the Test series or those in the following week.South Africa’s selectors are expected to name the squad later this week and it could be without allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo, who failed to impress in the only Test he played against India. But exactly where South Africa will look for new squad members is uncertain. Currently, Vaughn van Jaarsveld tops the first-class run charts, followed by Pieter Malan and Rassie van der Dussen, while Kolpak spinner Simon Harmer is top of the wicket-takers’ list, which is dominated by slower bowlers. Legspinner Shaun von Berg and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy are in second and third place with allrounders scant on the circuit.

Virat Kohli has called the series win over England the ‘sweetest’ of India’s recent Test successes

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-20162:40

‘We haven’t got anything on a platter’ – Kohli

Virat Kohli has called the series win over England the “sweetest” of India’s recent Test successes. It was their fifth series win in a row but their first in four attempts against England with their previous series victory back in 2008.They wrapped up victory in eight overs on the final morning in Mumbai – their 17th unbeaten Test in a row, which equalled their best run – as R Ashwin took the remaining four wickets to finish with 12 in the match. However, it was Kohli who was named Man of the Match for his career-best 235 which helped India come from behind and claim a lead of 231.”This series win is probably the sweetest of all we’ve won in the past 14-15 months,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation. “It couldn’t get any better, in the Wankhede you win 3-0 against a top quality side that has beaten us convincingly. It feels really good.”Anil Kumble, India’s coach, praised his team’s ability to win from difficult situations citing the three lost tosses they have responded to and the middle-order wobbles that the lower order have helped rescue. He was reluctant to compare this India team with others in history, but said the current side was “special.””You can’t really compare different eras or different teams,” he said. “But this team, certainly, is the No. 1 team in the world today and it has the potential to become the best ever Test team in terms of results. The team was exceptional in terms of the intensity shown on the field, in terms of situational awareness and coming out from difficult situations in this series and even against New Zealand as well. Everyone has contributed to the team’s success and that’s the beauty about this team. I don’t really like to compare, but this team is certainly special and I’m really privileged to be part of this set up as well.”Kohli revealed he had a few nerves when England had posted 400 having won the toss, but was confident that they could take control of the game and exploit the fact that England had only selected two frontline spinners alongside four quicks – something Alastair Cook admitted had been a mistake.”I was pretty focussed on this game,” Kohli said. “We were 2-0 up with a chance to seal the series so we can go to Chennai and express ourselves. The plan was to get stuck in, I got away immediately and sometimes that happens that you get boundaries and the nerves calm down. I wouldn’t say I wasn’t nervous, I indeed was especially when there was 400 on the board. After we had that bit of a collapse I buckled down again, not getting satisfied, I knew I had to score many more for us to be in a commanding position.”I felt the advantage we had was that England had a spinner less and those two guys [Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid] really got tired by the end of it after 50-plus overs. We knew bad balls would come our way. If you don’t bowl your fast bowlers on a regular basis on pitches like these they lose confidence and when they come on they are thinking of stopping runs instead of taking wickets. That’s something we sensed and went after them hard.”Pressed further on the difference between the teams, Kohli provided some detailed thoughts on the different mindsets of the two batting sides. England have often spoken about an aggressive outlook, but Kohli felt that was because they did not have the belief in their defensive capabilities in Indian conditions.”It’s about the application,” he said. “Their batsmen have hardly blocked six balls in a row and we’ve worked on our defence. It’s very important playing in India, if you don’t have a good defence in India it’s very difficult to counter the type of bowling we have. We sensed they don’t have enough faith in the way they went about their business, even the second innings here was a lot of shots and we knew it was just a matter of time that we’d get a couple of wickets and it would crumble. They aren’t sure about taking the innings long. As soon as we plugged the boundaries they had no way out because our bowlers are very consistent. We’ve worked on our defence and thrive on it. We enjoy thinking of it.”

The Delhi High Court has served notices to Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila who were acquitted by a trial court in July in relation to the chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police about their involvement in the 2013 IPL corruption scandal

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Nov-2015The Delhi High Court has served notices to Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, who had all charges laid against them in relation to the 2013 IPL corruption dropped by a trial court in July. The notices, issued individually to the three players along with 39 others associated with the case, have asked them to be present for the High Court’s next hearing on December 16.The Delhi Police had charged all of them under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), which is normally used to tackle organised crime and terrorism. But the trial court ruled there was not enough evidence for charges to be framed under the MCOCA. The Delhi Police had challenged that ruling in the High Court last month.The three cricketers were arrested in May-June 2013 for their alleged involvement in betting and spot-fixing during the IPL. While Sreesanth and Chavan were granted bail within a month, Chandila had to spend more than three months in prison before he was released on bail.The case has no bearing on the life bans imposed by the BCCI in September 2013 on Sreesanth and Chavan. Chandila’s case is pending before the BCCI’s disciplinary committee.

Jesse Ryder offered a ‘thumbs up’ gesture and interacted with his family and manager on the day two men were arrested and charged with assault in connection with the attack

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2013Jesse Ryder offered a ‘thumbs up’ gesture and interacted with his family and manager on the day two men were arrested and charged with assault in connection with the attack that left the New Zealand cricketer in an induced coma in a Christchurch hospital.The two men, aged 20 and 37, are set to appear in the Christchurch District Court on April 4.Progress in the police investigation was accompanied by signs of improvement in Ryder’s condition, which is now deemed stable rather than critical by medical staff. Heath Mills, the New Zealand players association chief executive, delivered a statement on behalf of the family.”Jesse is in a stable condition in intensive care. He’s been responsive and interacting with his family and the medical team,” Mills said. “Jesse is still in an induced coma, and is still needing support with breathing due to an injury to his lungs. In terms of a head injury, it cannot be fully determined at this stage what the effects of a knock to Jesse’s head are. We will know more once he comes out of the coma.”Ryder’s manager, Aaron Klee, said the thumbs up had been delivered to a neurosurgeon at the hospital before his family interacted further. Ryder’s level of sedation had been adjusted to allow him to interact with his family, Klee said, though he added that “it’s awful, he’s lying there with tubes everywhere”.”I was there this morning and they’re working on the level of sedation of the coma to a level where they can talk to Jesse and make him aware of talking to him,” Klee said. “We got a thumbs up from him this morning. Everyone was very pleased [to hear that].”We then had some interaction with me and Jesse and Jesse’s mum and Jesse’s partner. We were able to talk to him and he looked at us.”Medical staff are now assessing when may be the right time to bring Ryder out of the coma. Klee expressed thanks for all the many messages of support that have come in from around the world, and said these messages had been relayed to Ryder in hospital.Detective Senior Sergeant Bryan Archer of Christchurch police said they were now confident that only two men had been involved in the attacks.”I’ve been able to review the CCTV footage and I think we can describe it as being an altercation outside Aikmans and a second incident in the carpark to McDonald’s,” he told reporters.”A member of the public got involved to try and break up the fight and that’s probably swelled the numbers from what people saw, but I believe the altercation involved two people initially and one person in the second incident.”A candlelight vigil for Ryder will be held outside Christchurch Hospital at 7pm local time. It will be led by the Canterbury Cricket chief executive Lee Germon and the city councillor Aaron Keown.”I am really upset this has happened in our city and it is a really bad image for Christchurch,” Keown said. “Good Friday is meant to be a day of peace and the whole country will be looking at Christchurch and saying, ‘If a cricket player can’t go out with his mates and not be assaulted then what is going on?'”Ryder had been celebrating the end of the season with several Wellington team mates at Aikmans Bar in Merivale. Archer said he got into a brief altercation with a group of people as he left the bar. He crossed the road to join his team mates in McDonalds, but was assaulted before he got there.