The Bangladesh fast bowler will be unavailable for the remaining ODI matches against England, after requesting the selectors not to consider him for the series

Andrew Miller02-Mar-2010Bangladesh fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza will be unavailable for the remaining ODIs against England, after requesting the selectors not to consider him for the remainder of the series following a disagreement over his fitness. Allrounder Nasir Hossain was included in the squad ahead of the second ODI in Dhaka on Tuesday.”Mortaza has informed us and Cricket Operations that he has to be by the side of his ailing mother and therefore was withdrawing himself from the rest of the ODI Series,” Rafiqul Alam, the chairman of selectors, said. He had already ruled himself out of next month’s Test series against England.After eight months on the sidelines, Mortaza had been named in the 13-man squad for the three one-dayers against England. He returned to competitive action for a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI in Fatullah on Thursday, his first appearance in national colours since a knee injury during the tour of West Indies in July.However, he went wicketless in both that game and the first ODI, and though his experience was sorely missed in the tense closing stages of the second match, which England won by two wickets, Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, fuelled rumours of a rift between the two players when he called into question Mortaza’s enduring worth at international level.”The way Mashrafe bowled before his injury, that Mashrafe we might have missed tonight,” he said, after the young seamer, Shafiul Islam, had conceded 23 game-turning runs from his last 11 balls of the game. “But the way he bowled in the last match and the practice match [at Fatullah], not really.”Shakib later played down the extent of the falling-out between the two players, adding that the pair had spoken by phone on the day after the match. “He needs some time to get back to full confidence and rhythm,” Shakib told Cricinfo. “He needs to play some games and get match-fit again.”Jamie Siddons, Bangladesh’s coach, added that Mashrafe had “perhaps over-reacted a bit” when informed of his omission from the second match, but insisted he would remain in contention for future selection. “We definitely want him to play in the Asia Cup and go to England,” he told Cricinfo, “because he’ll be an asset there with his swing and a bit of swing. We need him back.”In total, Mortaza has undergone six knee reconstructions in the space of eight years, but his latest return to fitness followed arguably the most demoralising setback yet. In July 2009, he was handed the captaincy for Bangladesh’s tour of the Caribbean to allow Mohammad Ashraful to concentrate on his batting. But he was able to bowl just 6.3 overs in their famous Test victory in Kingstown, his first match in charge, before collapsing in his follow through on the second day of the game.

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s captain for the upcoming World Twenty20, has said that Sachin Tendulkar’s absence from the Indian team for the tournament will be a blessing in disguise for the other sides

Cricinfo staff29-Mar-2010Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s captain for the upcoming World Twenty20, has said that Sachin Tendulkar’s absence from the Indian team for the tournament will be a blessing in disguise for the other sides.”The way he has blossomed in the last few years, he is only getting better and better as a batsman. If he is not playing for India in the Twenty20 World Cup, it is certainly a big advantage for other teams,” Afridi was quoted in the . “If Tendulkar had played in this World Cup, I am sure he would made big impact for India.”Tendulkar voluntarily ruled himself out of international Twenty20 matches in 2007, before the inaugural World Twenty20, in order to preserve himself for the longer formats. He has been in fine form in the IPL, having scored 303 runs in the first six matches, seven runs shy of Jacques Kallis who tops the run charts. Tendulkar’s purple patch led to suggestions that he reconsider his decision, but Tendulkar has ruled out such a possibility.Afridi feels that age has not had any effect on Tendulkar’s powers. “With every match he seems to be growing as a batsman and getting better. He is playing like a teenager. There is no sign of age affecting his game at all,” Afridi said.”The biggest thing that he still enjoys playing the sport and he is hunger for runs has not died at all,” he said. I think even in Twenty20 cricket you need to bat properly and at times even playing out 20 overs is a big challenge for a team. You need to play orthodox cricket,” Afridi said.

Modi will now have to submit his response by May 31, a ten-day extension from the original deadline

Cricinfo staff18-May-2010The BCCI has extended the deadline for Lalit Modi to respond to the second show-cause notice it issued to him on May 6, following a charge by Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, that Modi was planning on setting up a parallel league in England. Modi will now have to submit his response by May 31, a ten-day extension from the original deadline.”The extension was asked because they needed more time for formulating an appropriate reply,” Mehmood Abdi, Modi’s legal counsel, told Cricinfo. “The request was sent in two days back, and N Srinivasan’s (the BCCI secretary) approval came back yesterday.”In his e-mail to the BCCI, Clarke alleged activities by Modi that he said were “detrimental to Indian cricket, English cricket and world cricket at large.” Modi has dismissed the charge as “fiction”.Modi, on May 15, responded to the first show-cause notice – containing charges of financial impropriety – issued to him by the BCCI in typically dramatic fashion. The reply, along with the supporting documents, ran up to 15,000 pages packed in large cardboard cartons wheeled into the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

Surrey have suspended Andre Nel, the former South Africa fast bowler, for two matches following continued on-pitch controversies

Cricinfo staff28-May-2010Surrey have suspended Andre Nel, the former South Africa fast bowler, for two matches following continued on-pitch controversies. He had already received a two-game ban from the ECB this season but his county have now felt the need to take their own action.Nel has always been a fiery character on the field and blames it on his alter-ego called ‘Gunter’. The latest incidents occurred during this week’s Championship victory against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road when he reportedly threw the ball towards Niall O’Brien.Nel appeared before an internal hearing on Friday where he was found guilty of a level two breach of the ECB code. He has also been fined £5,000 pounds with half of that suspended for the remainder of his Surrey contract.”The way we conduct ourselves on and off the field is of utmost importance to us and breaches like this can’t go unpunished,” said Gus Mackay, Surrey’s managing director. “We have to be firm and consistent in our stance regarding improper behaviour that can bring the club and game into disrepute.”Nel’s ban covers the County Championship matches against Glamorgan and Leicestershire.

Cricket Australia could be set to have a former Test player as chairman for the first time since Sir Donald Bradman, with the election of Wally Edwards as deputy chairman

Cricinfo staff11-Jun-2010Cricket Australia could be set to have a former Test player as chairman for the first time since Sir Donald Bradman, with the election of Wally Edwards as deputy chairman. Edwards, who is the longest serving of the current board of directors, was promoted to the role at the Cricket Australia board meeting in Melbourne on Friday.An opening batsman from Western Australia, Edwards played three Tests during the 1974-75 Ashes series. He has served on the CA board since 1996 and, as deputy chairman, he will be the leading candidate to take over as chairman when the incumbent Jack Clarke’s term expires.”The board’s decision to elect Wally Edwards as Cricket Australia’s deputy chairman is a wonderful result,” Clarke said. “Wally has been a dedicated servant of the game, firstly as a player and now administrator and I look forward to working closely with him to ensure the continued success of cricket in this country.”A civil engineer, Edwards owns a Perth-based company that manufactures irrigation products, and he has also served as vice-president of the Western Australian Cricket Association. Edwards, 60, said he was looking forward to his new role.”It is a great honour to be elected Cricket Australia’s deputy chairman,” Edwards said. “I am excited at the prospect of working with current chairman Jack Clarke and the Cricket Australia board as Australian cricket strives to continue is recent success and help to ensure cricket retains its position as Australia’s favourite sport.”

Marcus North feels stronger after his Test career survived a near-death experience in New Zealand

Cricinfo staff30-Jun-2010Marcus North feels stronger after his Test career survived a near-death experience in New Zealand and hopes to display that extra confidence in the two matches against Pakistan. North left for the neutral series in England on Tuesday and will be the No. 6 in a side that will have to be re-jigged to cope without the injured Nathan Hauritz.But North knows he wouldn’t be in the squad if he hadn’t scored an unbeaten 112 and 90 against New Zealand in March, contributions which followed a desperate home campaign of 207 runs in six Tests. “It was a pretty defining couple of innings for my career,” he told AAP. “I was struggling a little bit there no doubt.”I’m glad the faith was shown there by the selectors and Ricky Ponting and the management to give me that opportunity. To go over there under a lot of pressure and perform was pretty rewarding and hopefully I can take that experience into my career from this day onwards.”In the nets before that series Ponting noticed North’s eyes weren’t level and it took five balls to correct the damaging flaw. “It’s funny how little things can cause major problems,” he said.Steven Smith is expected to come into the side for Hauritz for the opening Test against Pakistan at Lord’s from July 13. However, Australia’s immediate task is to hit back after losing the opening three matches of the one-day series against England.”I wouldn’t think we would read too much into the one-day series leading into [the series with] Pakistan or the Ashes later this year,” North said. “Australia have come across an England side that’s been playing a lot of cricket and probably playing the best one-day cricket they’ve played for a while.”

Bermuda fast bowler George O’Brien was injured on Monday after he was reportedly attacked by a man wielding a machete

Cricinfo staff21-Jul-2010Bermuda fast bowler George O’Brien was injured on Monday after he was reportedly attacked by a man wielding a machete. He was struck on the upper arm but was said to be in stable condition.Daily newspaper the reported the wound sustained by O’Brien went down to the bone and required surgery. No arrests had been made until Monday night.”It appears that the victim, a 25-year-old St. George’s man, was involved in an argument with another man who assaulted him with a bladed article,” the newspaper quoted a police spokesman as saying. “As a result the victim sustained a laceration to his arm. The suspect is apparently known to the victim.”The 25-year-old St. George’s man was taken to the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre for treatment before being taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. Inquiries into this incident are underway.”O’Brien was supposed to participate in a St George’s Cup match, but was ruled out as a result of the incident. “I would just hope that George recovers from this injury,” said St George’s club president Neil Paynter. “That’s my main concern. As far as Cup match is concerned, I think that will take care of itself. I just wish George well and hope that he makes a speedy recovery.”O’Brien has represented Bermuda in nine ODIs, grabbing 15 wickets at an average of 27. He has also bagged a five-for in first-class cricket.

Sussex remained on course for an immediate return to County Championship Division One after comfortably securing a draw against Glamorgan at Hove

30-Aug-2010
Scorecard
Sussex remained on course for an immediate return to County Championship Division One after comfortably securing a draw against Glamorgan at Hove. Second-placed Glamorgan were bowled out for 210 on the final afternoon following an inspired post-lunch spell by Luke Wright when he took 4 for 24 in seven overs. It left Sussex needing 261 to win from 45 overs and, after losing Chris Nash and Ben Brown to catches behind the wicket off Huw Waters early on, they settled for batting practice.Murray Goodwin finished with an unbeaten 58, made off 63 balls with eight fours and a six, and Ed Joyce was 24 not out as Sussex closed on 93 for 2 from 27 overs when the players shook hands at 5pm. It means Sussex are 19 points clear of Glamorgan at the top of Division Two with two games to go and a hefty 41 in front of third-placed Worcestershire.Yasir Arafat made two quick breakthroughs at the start of the final day to revive their hopes when he had Gareth Rees caught behind and Will Bragg, playing across the line, leg before in successive overs. But a stand of 69 in 13 overs between Ben Wright and Tom Maynard settled Glamorgan nerves and when Maynard, who played some outstanding shots off the back foot, began to pepper the boundary the visitors must have had hopes of setting a target.But Ben Wright flashed a slower ball from Corey Collymore to backward point and James Allenby gloved a catch to the wicketkeeper when James Anyon dropped short. At that stage Glamorgan’s lead was 177 but skipper Mark Wallace and Maynard added 47 in nine overs prior to lunch before Luke Wright, who had bowled poorly in the first innings, found some rhythm and control.He went round the wicket to have Wallace caught behind before Maynard was leg before for a composed 76 from 104 balls which included 10 fours and a six off Monty Panesar. Dean Cosker had his off stump uprooted two balls later and in his next over Luke Wright yorked David Harrison, his third wicket in 10 deliveries. Anyon finished off the innings when Waters was caught behind but crucially the last-wicket pair frustrated Sussex for seven overs.Their run chase began badly when Nash fell for a duck, driving at Waters, and when Brown was caught behind in the sixth over as he pushed forward it was Glamorgan who entertained hopes of victory. But Goodwin and Joyce looked comfortable enough as they played out time and Sussex stayed on course to win the title.

Pakistan cricket’s chief Ijaz Butt said that his board will not make any appeals for leniency for 18-year-old fast bowler Mohammed Amir in the spot-fixing controversy

Cricinfo staff16-Sep-2010Pakistan cricket’s chief Ijaz Butt has said his board will not make any appeals for leniency for 18-year-old fast bowler Mohammad Amir in the spot-fixing controversy. Butt was speaking in New Delhi after meeting with ICC chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday afternoon.He told the Indian news channel that Amir would be treated like the other two Pakistan cricketers suspended for their role in the spot-fixing controversy. “Different standards cannot be applied for different cricketers,” he said, adding that according to the PCB the players had to be thought of as “innocent unless proven guilty”. If they are found guilty Butt said, “the book will be thrown at them”.The cricket administrators emerged out of Pawar’s residence after the meeting which lasted close to 75 minutes. Butt said the “first and foremost reason” he was in Delhi was because he “owed him (Pawar) one because we had not met after he became the ICC president – I have a lot of respect for him and he is a dear friend”.The two had talked about the suspended players but Butt said he would not comment on the investigation until it was complete, though he did add it was “wrong of the police to search the players’ room without their permission”. Butt said the PCB had protested strongly when it was discovered that the Pakistan dressing room at Lord’s had been searched without the knowledge of either the English or the Pakistan boards. He said only the MCC, as the hosts, were informed about the search.Butt’s meeting with Pawar appears to be a move to gain support in the ICC to put forward a case for Indo-Pak cricket. Butt was quick to say he “didn’t see an India bias in the ICC suspension – but I am not a politician” and wanted ties between the two nations to “resume as soon as possible”.The resumption of ties, he believed, would be quickened if an India-Pakistan series was to be held at a neutral venue. “If we can play against Australia in England, why can’t we play India?”, Butt said, adding that the PCB had a few suggestions to offer to the Indians as his Board had discussed the possibility “for a long time”. A BCCI official, however, told ESPNcricinfo that a neutral series seemed “impossible” at this stage due to both the political climate between India and Pakistan as well as the spot-fixing controversy.In his television interview, Butt said Pakistan’s defeat in the Lord’s Test, by an innings and 225 runs, had proved that “there was no match-fixing in that game – the three no balls had nothing to do with the ultimate result”. He said that the media coverage had shifted during the week following the Lord’s Test. “First everyone said match-fixing. Then they switched to spot-fixing, spot-fixing”.The anger in Pakistan after the ICC’s first-ever suspension of players was not reinforced by the PCB chief who told the media, “we are not angry about the players being suspended … the ICC’s Code of Conduct is clear and the ICC has the authority to do what they did”. Butt said, “the PCB is a part of the ICC and we should work together for a solution”.As the ICC chief, Pawar was “duty bound” to meet Butt, his aides told ESPNcricinfo. “He has to be accessible to all member boards – particularly an ICC member in distress.”Pawar said the Scotland Yard investigation into the charges against four Pakistan players is likely to end soon. “Prima facie there are some allegations and we have suspended the players on the basis of that,” Pawar said. “Scotland Yard has permitted them to go back to Pakistan and the PCB has also promised to make them available to the investigators if required. Nobody is playing hide and seek.”A major investigation agency is carrying out the probe and that will not take long. Neither the PCB nor ICC will interfere in the process.”

A late blast from Darren Maddy charged Warwickshire to a four-wicket win over
Yorkshire at Scarborough and booked them a place against Somerset in next
Saturday’s Clydesdale Bank 40 final at Lord’s

11-Sep-2010

ScorecardA late blast from Darren Maddy charged Warwickshire to a four-wicket win over
Yorkshire at Scarborough and booked them a place against Somerset in next
Saturday’s Clydesdale Bank 40 final at Lord’s.Defeat was a bitter blow for skipper Andrew Gale and his Yorkshire side after
another great century from Jacques Rudolph and they will try to make amends by
lifting the County Championship title in the final round of matches next
week.Chasing a revised target of 260 in 37 overs under Duckworth-Lewis, Warwickshire
were well in control until they slid from 203 for 2 to 216 for 5. The last three overs arrived with Warwickshire still requiring 23 to win and the issue was effectively settled by Maddy who lashed Steve Patterson for consecutive sixes over mid-wicket and long leg.Rikki Clarke was bowled two balls later but the pressure was now off
Warwickshire and two fours for Maddy off Anthony McGrath in the penultimate over
saw the Bears home with seven balls remaining.Maddy finished unbeaten on 34 from 19 deliveries with three fours and two sixes
but the first four batsmen in the Warwickshire line-up also made significant
contributions.Openers Neil Carter and Varun Chopra lashed 65 from the first seven overs
before Carter was lbw to Ben Sanderson for 40 but Yorkshire were unable to put
their opponents under any real pressure.Barker, surviving two difficult chances to Gale, knocked up 34 in a 52 stand
with Chopra and was then well caught by wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy, standing up
to Richard Pyrah, but this dismissal only brought in a determined Ian Bell who
dominated a fourth-wicket partnership of 86 with Chopra.Bell had dashed to 57 off 49 balls with four fours and three sixes when he was
superbly caught on the boundary by Jonny Bairstow – and Adil Rashid claimed
another wicket in the same over by having Jim Troughton caught at long off.Chopra’s fine innings ended when he drove Patterson to McGrath at mid-off for
76 from 81 balls with five fours and a six but the mounting excitement of the
Yorkshire fans in the 5,100 crowd was soon quelled by Maddy.A short delay to the start made it a 39-overs-a-side match and a total of four
more overs were lost for a break during the Yorkshire innings which was given a
positive start by Gale and Jacques Rudolph.Once the early overs from Carter and Chris Woakes had been safely negotiated
the pair flourished and each took a six off Woakes as the stand built up to 73
in 12 overs before Gale drove Barker into the hands of Clarke at long on to
depart for 30.Yorkshire then went through a lean spell during which Adam Lyth was dismissed
by Ant Botha and McGrath was caught behind of Imran Tahir but either side of
these mishaps Rudolph moved to a 46-ball half-century with five fours and a
six.After Yorkshire had gone 13 overs without a boundary, Brophy ended the drought
by planting the last ball of Botha’s spell into the crowd and it was the start
of a furious assault by the wicketkeeper-batsman as he dominated a 99 stand in
12 overs with Rudolph, who calmly worked his way towards his fourth CB40 League
century of the season.Brophy had dashed to 64 from 46 balls with four fours and four sixes when
Barker had him caught at long off by Troughton to make it 212 for 3 with a
little over three overs remaining.Bairstow made sure Yorkshire finished with a flourish as he thrashed an
unbeaten 26 from nine deliveries with two fours and two sixes but the biggest
cheer was reserved for Rudolph when he cut Barker to move to his century off 93
balls with nine fours and a six. He fell for 106 to the last ball of the innings
bravely attempting to complete a second run off Bairstow’s stroke.Warwickshire’s jubilant acting captain Bell said afterwards: “This is one of
my proudest days with Warwickshire and we felt that it was a par score which we
were chasing.“I would even have been happy chasing a 300 target over a full 40 overs on the
small North Marine Road ground and the lads batted very well all the way
down.”