Saturday, September 11, 2010
Chennai Super Kings vs Central Districts Champions League T20
Kulatunga helps as Vayamba sets 154 runs targer for Warriors
Wayamba 153/9 (20.0/20 ov)
Warriors
Wayamba won the toss and elected to bat
Innings break
| Wayamba innings (20 overs maximum) | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
 | DPMD Jayawardene | c Kreusch b Theron | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| HGJM Kulatunga | c Kreusch b Tsotsobe | 59 | 44 | 6 | 3 | 134.09 | |
| ML Udawatte | c Boje b Theron | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | |
| J Mubarak* | c Prince b Boje | 9 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 56.25 | |
| MDKJ Perera† | c Prince b Theron | 39 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 162.50 | |
| KS Lokuarachchi | c Boje b Botha | 14 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 127.27 | |
| NLTC Perera | c Botha b Ntini | 11 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 137.50 | |
| MF Maharoof | c Tsotsobe b Ntini | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 71.42 | |
| HMRKB Herath | run out (Botha/†Boucher) | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 266.66 | |
| BAW Mendis | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | ||
| Extras | (lb 3, w 2) | 5 | ||||||
 | ||||||||
| Total | (9 wickets; 20 overs) | 153 | (7.65 runs per over) | |||||
| To bat UWMBCA Welegedara |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |||
| J Theron | 4 | 0 | 23 | 3 | 5.75 | (1w) | |
| LL Tsotsobe | 4 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 7.75 | (1w) | |
| M Ntini | 4 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 8.50 | ||
| J Botha | 4 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 5.25 | ||
| N Boje | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 11.00 | ||
| JP Kreusch | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 9.50 |
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
It's Depends on Players to Stop Spread Of Corruption - Dhoni
Cricketers must take more responsibility for their actions to prevent the spread of corruption, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Tuesday.
He was speaking in the light of the suspension last week of Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif following spot-fixing allegations levelled against them in Britain's News of the World newspaper. "It is crucial to keep the game clean," Dhoni told a news conference in Durban.
"Personally I think it is up to the individual. You don't need someone to guide you or restrict you. If you are playing for, or representing, your country you should feel pride in doing that."
In the wake of the allegations against the Pakistan trio the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) has come under fire for not doing enough to prevent the spread of corruption in cricket.
But Dhoni, who is in South Africa with the Chennai Super Kings to play in the Champions League Twenty20 which starts on Friday, believes that the ACSU is doing a decent job.
"As far as the corruption unit and their functioning are concerned I think that they are doing a good job," he said, adding that if the ACSU was given more power it could infringe on players' human rights.
"I think that if they (ACSU) become stricter they will start intruding on the privacy of players."
England vital victory over Pakistan in 2nd T20
Pakistan could not cope with either a barrage of short-pitched bowling from the England pacemen or the slow bowling of Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy.
Umar Akmal hit Swann for two straight sixes into the sightscreen but was bowled for 17 when the England off-spinner kept his nerve and floated up another tempting delivery. Yardy was again economical, conceding 10 runs from his four overs.
An early wicket to Shoaib Akhtar and a brilliant run-out by Umar Akmal who hit the stumps at the bowler's end to account for Craig Kieswetter for 16 temporarily lifted Pakistan's morale.
But Paul Collingwood, who led England to victory in the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean this year, scored 21 from 25 deliveries and Eion Morgan made 18 not out from 14 balls.
Pakistan are playing without test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif who have been suspended from all cricket by the International Cricket Council under its anti-corruption code after an investigation into incidents in the fourth test at Lord's.
England were exceptional bowling attack in T20: Collingwood
The Twenty20 world champions completed an emphatic 2-0 series triumph against Pakistan in Cardiff, dismissing the visitors for just 89 and then reaching their target with six wickets and six overs in hand.
It was Pakistan's lowest total in Twenty20 cricket, and they now head to Durham for the start of a one-day, 50-over series against England which has further humiliation stamped all over it.
England though, are in no mood to start offering sympathy for Pakistan's plight as the tourists continue playing like a team haunted by the spot-fixing crisis that has crippled international cricket.
"In this form of the game it can be tough to win consecutively," said Collingwood, who top-scored with 21 as England cruised home in front of a two-thirds' empty SWALEC Stadium.
"To have that 'World Cup', you can have added pressure on you as well. But the way we've played over the last two games, the boys are enjoying that added pressure.
"It's a special achievement, and we obviously did it during the best time - which was during the World Cup. "To continue with that form, even though we've lost a couple of players, I'm delighted in the response of the dressing room - and the bowlers as a unit are doing fantastically well.
"I think in the last seven games they haven't conceded more than 148 runs, which is fantastic in the Twenty20 format. "It was exceptional again. I'm absolutely delighted with what was another strong performance. "I'm going to sound like a broken record, but the bowlers again adapted to the conditions very well."
Pakistan never recovered from slumping to 22 for four after winning the toss and batting, as seamers Tim Bresnan (three for 10) and Stuart Broad (two for 18) did much of the damage before some typically tight bowling by England's immaculate spinners Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy.
It all left Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi in no mood to offer excuses.
"We were very bad, inexperienced and immature. I thought we played very bad cricket," he said.
"We are not enjoying ourselves in the field - we need to forget everything, I know it's difficult, but we should be professional cricketers and focus on cricket. "I said England are united because they are winning continually, and victory brings unity to the team.
"At this stage I know our morale is very down, but one victory and it will be very high. We are just trying to find victory at this stage. "It will be a big challenge to compete in the one-dayers, but we have some time, and me, my coach and the team, we will sit together and talk."
Pietersen out for a duck for Surrey
Any qualms Glamorgan might have had that Surrey’s new star signing would provide an unforeseen obstacle in their promotion challenge were dispelled within two balls.
That was the limit of Kevin Pietersen’s contribution to the day, as the England batsman made a duck in his first championship appearance for the county.
Surprise, surprise, it was a left-arm spinner who did for him. Dean Cosker managed to skid one on as Pietersen lurched forward shortly before three o’clock. The ball thudded into the pad, and after a period of contemplation, the finger was raised by umpire Nick Cook — another slow-left-armer.
Pietersen cannot seem to shake the pesky things off at the moment.
There was disgruntlement aplenty in the members’ stand, but with a superb one-day hundred on Saturday in the bag, and a second innings to come here, there is no need to sound the alarm yet.
Nevertheless, Pietersen’s failure raised the interesting question of what would transpire should he end the season without another substantial score.
By dispatching him to the half-empty arenas of the county circuit, the Englandselectors have concluded that they would rather an affronted Pietersen than an out-of-form one. You wonder whether it has occurred to them that after the next two matches, he may well be both.
But while Pietersen himself spent an unhappy minute in the limelight, his influence was everywhere. The run rate pushed five an over at certain points, as Glamorgan pushed for a first promotion in six years and Surrey strove to avoid a first ever wooden spoon.
Frustrated by an early shower that kept the players off the field until half past one, Glamorgan bowled poorly to an opening partnership of Tom Lancefield and Jason Roy.
The supremely talented 20 year-old Roy, in only his second first-class innings, brought to mind nothing less than a youthful Pietersen with his carefree power hitting. He raced to fifty off 47 balls before giving it away in consummate KP fashion, dancing down the pitch to Cosker and getting bowled. He even has a South African birth certificate.
The real Pietersen failed to trouble the photographers, and when Cosker produced some considerable turn to sneak past Mark Ramprakash’s defences, he was sitting on very handy figures of three for five.
Rory Hamilton-Brown and Gary Wilson wrested back the initiative with a partnership of 127 in 128 balls. Hamilton-Brown hit all four main bowlers for six in a thrilling 96, but he attempted to smite Cosker into Camberwell and was stumped all over the place. A brainless dismissal in the 90s — another very KP trait.
Wilson had gone just four balls earlier, bowled playing down the wrong line, but Chris Schofield and Gareth Batty saw Surrey to a third bonus point and set up an absorbing second day. Glamorgan could seal promotion with a win, but they will have Pietersen to negotiate once more first.
PIETERSEN BLASTING CENTURY FOR SURREY
KEVIN PIETERSEN roared back to form by blazing a century for Surrey on Saturday.
The axed England batsman put the fact he has been charged for his foul-mouthed Twitter rant behind him with his most fluent innings for some time.As he's been dropped from the one-day internationals with Pakistan, KP was able to come in at number three in the clash with Sussex to wow the Hove crowd.
A single off Yasir Arafat ended a seven-year wait for a domestic one-day ton and he went on to smash 116 from 105 balls in the tied 40-over match.
James Kirtley eventually clean bowled Pietersen after eight fours and six sixes to spark his own celebrations as the paceman is due to retire knowing he has a prize scalp to enjoy.
BUTT IS A LIAR: LEGEND RAJA
The star at the centre of the spot-fixing scandal sought to hide behind the Pakistan High Commissioner's barmy claims that the News of the World fabricated evidence against him. Test captain Butt appeared at last Sunday's post-match press conference and tried to distance himself from the allegations he is involved in an illegal gambling syndicate.
But former skipper Raja said: "Salman Butt's claims are a joke, a big joke. "If you are implicated, you've got to come out straight away and say, 'I've not done this, I don't care what the allegations are, I'm not involved and that is the truth'.
"He has not done that, he has come across as a big liar. I am so heavily and thoroughly disappointed by Pakistan's captain.
"You look at match-fixing and the captain has to be crooked, they've got to be involved, along with some of the major players in the team, for it to happen.
"It all depends on the captain. The way it was told in the paper '10th over, sixth ball' it actually did happen. It's up to the captain to ensure the bowler is still operating in the 10th over.
"I thought Butt was intelligent enough to understand the importance of leading Pakistan and setting an example.
"This is going to hurt Pakistan cricket. We have become a laughing stock. These players have brought shame on Pakistan's history. They have been caught in the act. Nothing can detract from that fact."
It is alleged Butt coerced 18-year-old Mohammad Amir into bowling two no-balls during the Fourth Test with England. Mohammad Asif is also accused of intentionally over-stepping.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Afridi commented Hameed's word can't be trusted
PAKISTAN batsman Yasir Hameed faces being interviewed by the ICC's anti-corruption unit as part of its match-fixing investigation, but his reliability as a witness has been called into question by his teammates.
The ACU detectives will be free to speak with Hameed as he is not part of the criminal investigation being carried out by Scotland Yard and it is likely he will be asked to explain comments made on film to an undercover reporter at the weekend during which he stated Pakistan were ''fixing almost every match''.
Hameed's comments added to the pressure around Pakistan, who are facing the prospect of another player being charged by the ICC.
''We want to be prompt and decisive on this matter,'' said Haroon Lorgat, the chief executive of the ICC. ''It is not something we want to drag our heels on and as soon as we are in a position to make charges and disclosures we will do so.''
Hameed's nickname within the Pakistan team is ''Bacha'', which means ''child'' in Urdu, and his naivety in talking with such openness to a complete stranger just days after the story of spot fixing during the Lord's Test broke is startling.
''He [Hameed] is 30-31 but mentally he is 15-16,'' said Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan one-day captain. ''I don't know who he was sitting with or in what situation he gave this message but we have known him for a long time. We know we can expect anything from him and he does this kind of thing. People know what type of character he is.''
Hameed was summoned to the Pakistan High Commission in London on Sunday for a meeting with Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Hameed later issued an affidavit through the commission claiming his comments to the News of the World were simply a repeat of the allegations made against Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Asif that had already been reported by the media. He claims he was duped into talking with the newspaper's investigative journalist Mazher Mahmood, believing him to be a sponsor offering a £50,000 ($84,000) deal.
He said two days later the same man called him and offered £25,000 to give a statement against the three players under investigation, which he refused. Hameed then claimed to have received a text threatening to expose him drinking wine during the interview, a potentially damaging allegation against a Muslim during Ramadan.
Meanwhile, the idea of a match-fixing amnesty has been put forward by the Professional Cricketers' Association.
Lorgat later suggested pace sensation Amir's tender age of 18 may help him escape stringent punishment, such as a life ban, in case he is found guilty of spot-fixing allegations.
Australia, New Zealand exchange cricket umpires
Australia and New Zealand have introduced an international exchange program for their senior cricket umpires.
Simon Fry, a member of Cricket Australia's international panel, and Barry Frost, a member of New Zealand Cricket's international panel, will be the first umpires to benefit from the program, which is designed to provide senior umpires with potential to officiate at international level the opportunity of experiencing foreign conditions.
Fry will officiate in a Plunket Shield first class match in Auckland, starting on November 23, while Frost will officiate in a Sheffield Shield first class match in Melbourne, starting three days later.
Both countries already have a similar relationship in place with Cricket South Africa.
Pietersen fined over Twitter rant
Kevin Pietersen was fined an "undisclosed amount" by the England and Wales Cricket Board yesterday for his foul-mouthed Twitter tirade after being dropped from the England squad.
Pietersen, never before axed when fit from England duty in a four-year international career, pre-empted last Tuesday's announcement by several hours that he'd been left out for the upcoming Twenty20 and limited overs matches against Pakistan with a post on social networking site Twitter.
The South Africa-born batsman would have been in trouble for that act alone.
But the 30-year-old Pietersen, man of the tournament during England's victorious World Twenty20 campaign in the Caribbean earlier this year, told his followers: "Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too.
"It's a f up."
England coach Andy Flower had to leave the national side in Cardiff, where the World Twenty20 title holders won the first of two Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan on Sunday, to travel to a disciplinary hearing at Lord's on Monday ahead of the second and final T20 in the Welsh capital on Tuesday.
An ECB statement said: "ECB has announced that Kevin Pietersen today (Monday) attended a disciplinary hearing at Lord's convened by Hugh Morris, Managing Director - England Cricket, and Andy Flower, England Team Director.
"Pietersen proffered an unreserved apology to ECB and the England team management for his actions."
"The hearing considered his comments to be prejudicial to the interests of Team England," the statement added.
"He has been fined an undisclosed sum in accordance with the terms and conditions of his England central contract."
Pietersen, struggling for runs at international level, was released back to on-loan county Surrey in a bid to regain form ahead of England's defence of the Ashes in Australia later this year.
It looked a good move as he hit a century for Surrey on Saturday in a 40-over match against Sussex.
Record ICC rap for spot 'fix' trio
THE three Pakistan players in the dock for spot-fixing have been hit with a staggering 23 charges after a News of the World undercover investigation.
Skipper Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir stand accused of involvement in a multi-million pound betting scam organised by 'fixer' Mazhar Majeed.
And the International Cricket Council charges run to a massive SIX pages per player. We have also learned Butt had previously been warned FIVE times about his duty to report illegal approaches before the latest betting scandal.
The three players and Majeed are the subject of a Scotland Yard investigation, with the Pakistan stars also facing the wrath of an ICC desperate to save their sport's battered reputation.
Test captain Butt and veteran bowler Asif both face life bans, although there is a growing sense among ICC top brass that 18-year-old Amir should be dealt with more leniently.
They have all been charged under Article 2 of the ICC's anti-corruption code, with Butt's charge sheet the longest of the three. In total, the charges run to 18 pages which were handed to the players on Thursday night after the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit swooped.
Pakistan's one-day skipper Shahid Afridi yesterday apologised for the conduct of his former team-mates on the eve of Sunday's Twenty20 clash in Cardiff. But his apology is unlikely to save the career of Butt.
Pakistan insist NOTHING will stop them completing their tour, while England bosses will take a final decision this morning on the wisdom of carrying on.
England's T20 skipper Paul Collingwood said: "If I was approached by anybody, I would certainly tell somebody about it."
Pakistani star Yasir Hameed blows lid off cricket corruption
A PAKISTAN cricketer who played in the rigged Lord's Test has sensationally confirmed that there WERE cheats in his team.
Respected opening batsman Yasir Hameed claims bent teammates were fixing "almost every match".
And he provided a devastating insight into the shady world of betting scams, telling how he:
- REFUSED bribes of up to £150,000 from a corrupt bookmaker to throw matches.
- LOST his own place in the squad and saw his career damaged as a result.
- WATCHED as crooked colleagues splashed out on plush properties and expensive sports cars funded by their illicit activities.
- LEARNED that shameless players pocketed an astonishing £1.8million for rigging a Test match against Australia earlier this year.
Hameed, once rated amongst the world's finest batsmen, said of his scandal-struck colleagues: "They've been caught. Only the ones that get caught are branded crooks.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Now, captaincy is big challenge, says Afridi
Shahid Afridi Friday said that leading the side in the upcoming one-day International series, against England, would be the biggest challenge of his career in the wake of spot-fixing allegations against the three of their top players.
Afridi, who has played 27 Tests, 296 ODIs and 35 T20 matches, also said that Pakistan players were feeling the heat after the allegations surfaced.
“It has not been easy for the players. But I think the team management took the right decision to release these players even before they were suspended.
“Because not only were Salman (Butt), (Mohammed) Aamer and (Mohammed) Asif under pressure, but also the rest of the team were also feeling the heat of the allegations,” he said.
Afridi said the players were making an effort to avoid discussing the issue during training or in the dressing room and were trying to just focus on the cricket.
“The players are avoiding talking about it because they know that the best thing they can do right now is to focus on the upcoming matches and try to do well in them,” he said.
“For me, personally, it is a big challenge to lead the team in the existing conditions… But I have tried my best to relax the players and insist they just concentrate on cricket.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced two youngsters — batsman Asad Shafiq and left-arm pace bowler Mohammed Irfan — as replacements for the suspended trio, for the ODI series.
Afridi, however, said that he was consulted before the finalisation of the replacements.
“I know they have lot of talent and it is a challenge for me to try to get this team to fight hard. Obviously, we will miss the three (players), but we have good back-up talent and we have to manage with it,” he said.
Afridi also said that he hoped that the three players would eventually be cleared of any wrongdoing.
“I feel sad at the current situation and I hope it turns out well for Pakistan cricket. But for the time being, we just need to show the world that we are a top cricket nation,” he said.
Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed, too, urged the squad to stay strong and “ride the pressure” for the remainder of the tour.
“We are human beings. Everybody has pressures in life — we have to ride the pressure, not give in to the pressure,” Saeed said.
He also insisted that in spite of the spot-fixing allegations, he never thought about cancelling the tour.
Meanwhile, England team director Andy Flower thinks that the game will “survive” inspite of the recent controversies.
“It’s not great discussing these topics and nobody wants that sort of news on the front or back page. We’ve got to see the outcome of these investigations first. Obviously it’s a not a very healthy position that we seem to be finding ourselves in right now,” Flower said.
“But the game will survive, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a great game, people love playing it, people love watching it and that’s why it will survive.
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