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The BCCI has objected to the itinerary of India’s tour to South Africa starting in November, which was announced by Cricket South Africa on Monday

Amol Karhadkar09-Jul-2013The BCCI has objected to the itinerary of India’s tour to South Africa starting in November, which was announced by Cricket South Africa on Monday. According to the BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel, CSA announced the schedule without obtaining the BCCI’s consent.”We have written to CSA mentioning that while we have been discussing the tour itinerary, nothing had been agreed upon (before they announced the schedule). The discussions are on and a consensual decision will come soon,” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has been in charge of the BCCI’s day-to-day affairs with N Srinivasan having stepped aside as president, confirmed that the BCCI had raised “concerns” with CSA.While Patel refused to elaborate on those concerns, Dalmiya said the BCCI had issues with the scheduling of the Tests. At the moment, the tour comprises two Twenty20 internationals and seven ODIs, followed by three Tests.”We have some concerns over the gap between the last two Tests of the three-match series,” Dalmiya told reporters in Kolkata. “We have informed this to our South African counterpart (CSA) and the two boards are trying very amicably to sort out the matter. The new schedule will be announced soon.” *The present schedule has an eight-day gap between the second and third Tests. Earlier this year, when South Africa hosted Pakistan, there was a similar eight-day gap between two Tests. The BCCI prefers to play three-Test series with a three-day interval for home series. The last time India toured South Africa (in 2010-11), the biggest gap was five days – between the first Test at Centurion and the Boxing Day Test. This time, the gap between the first two Tests is just two days, with CSA deciding to reinstate the Boxing Day and New Year Tests to Durban and Newlands respectively.It is learned that the new BCCI administration has concerns with the “number of matches and the itinerary” for the tour. The tour is scheduled to end on January 19, just before the start of the New Zealand tour, though the schedule for that tour hasn’t yet been finalised.The BCCI feels that seven ODIs are “too many”. “If we have five ODIs, perhaps the tour can get over a week early and the boys can have a week-long break before flying to New Zealand,” a BCCI insider said, preferring anonymity. He also revealed that the board has been consulting the players on whether they would prefer to play the Tests before the ODIs.CSA, however, has claimed that it has not received any formal complaint from the BCCI and that they have followed all the correct protocols. “If the BCCI has any concerns they can raise them with us and we will sort them out amicably as we have always done in the past,” Michael Owen Smith, CSA media consultant, said.* – July 9, 2013, 1815 GMT – story updated with Dalmiya quotes

Shikhar Dhawan is likely to miss at least the opening match for Sunrisers Hyderabad, as he recovers from his hand injury sustained while fielding during the recent Mohali Test against Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2013Shikhar Dhawan is likely to miss at least the opening match for Sunrisers Hyderabad, as he recovers from his hand injury sustained while fielding during the recent Mohali Test against Australia. Dhawan fractured his left hand and was ruled out for six weeks, keeping him out of the fourth Test in Delhi. Sunrisers play their first game on April 5 against Pune Warriors.”Shikhar Dhawan at this stage will not be available for the first game. We are obviously working closely with the BCCI and the medical team with regard to his progress,” Sunrisers coach Tom Moody said before the team’s first official training session in Hyderabad.”We are hoping that within a couple of weeks he will be available to join the team.”Dhawan had made history in Mohali, his 187 being the fastest by a debutant in Tests. His knock opened India’s chances for pushing for a win in a high-scoring game, despite the opening day being washed out. He hurt his hand on the fourth day of the Test but wasn’t required to bat during the second innings.Dhawan was the leading run-scorer for Deccan Chargers – as it was previously known before the ownership changed – in the 2012 season, scoring 569 runs with five fifties. He was one of the few positives in what was a forgettable campaign for the team, which finished second from last.

A round-up of the quarter-final matches from the Vijay Hazare Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2013
ScorecardDelhi crushed Gujarat in Visakhapatnam to enter the quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, first rolling them for 126 and then knocking off the meagre target with over 21 overs to spare. Seamer Sumit Narwal triggered the Gujarat collapse, removing both openers after they had strung together a partnership of 40. Narwal went on to five wickets in an economical seven-over spell, and received support from new-ball bowler Parvinder Awana and Rajat Bhatia as Gujarat went on to score just 86 more runs in 25 overs after the opening stand was broken. Delhi lost opener Dhruv Shorey early in the chase, but the rest of the top order contributed cameos as they cruised home. Gautam Gambhir finished unbeaten on 44, the top-scorer in the game.
ScorecardKerala put on a dominating show with the bat, to ease past Punjab by 46 runs, and secure their place in the final four. Punjab chose to bowl, and made a decent start, reducing Kerala to 51 for 2 in the tenth over. However, one of the openers, VA Jagadeesh, hung in there and went on to make a career-best 119, that set a firm platform. Sachin Baby, batting at No. 6, launched from that platform, scoring a maiden List A century. He finished unbeaten on 104 runs from 70 balls to take Kerala to 320. For Punjab, Gurkeerat almost played a similar role to that of Jagadeesh, but was run out on 99 to dent Punjab’s chances. Their hopes took another big blow when Yuvraj Singh was out to Prasanth Parameswaran for a golden duck. Mandeep Singh kept them going with a steady 81, but they still fell well short, bowled out in the 48th over.

A half-century from Travis Birt and some crisp hitting from Owais Shah helped Hobart Hurricanes to a comfortable two-wicket win over Brisbane Heat at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA rapid half-century from Travis Birt helped Hobart Hurricanes comfortably chase down their target•Getty ImagesA half-century from Travis Birt and some crisp hitting from Owais Shah helped Hobart Hurricanes to a comfortable two-wicket win over Brisbane Heat at the Gabba. Birt and Shah combined for a 95-run partnership in less than nine overs, as the hosts’ total of 6 for 172 was overhauled with an over to spare.Tim Paine upped the tempo early on for the Hurricanes after Shane Watson’s first over cost just one run. Wicketkeeper Paine cracked Watson for six in his next over and had helped put on a 50-run opening stand when he fell to James Hopes for 29 off 19 balls. Nathan Hauritz and Ben Cutting helped slow the run rate, the latter removing Jonathan Wells with the score on 80, but the third-wicket partnership was to prove decisive.Shah hit Cutting for two sixes in the 13th over and Birt scored 21 off the next, which also included a wide from Hopes, to make the Hurricanes task a straightforward one.Having won the toss, Brisbane were hampered in their attempts to set a more imposing total by the loss of regular wickets. Michael Hogan struck twice to remove the openers with 39 on the board before a 49-run partnership between Joe Burns and Dan Christian. Debutant Evan Gulbis removed Burns on the way to fine figures of 3 for 29 and Thisara Perara’s late innings of 22 from eight balls was not enough to give Heat a winning platform.

Brendon McCullum said it was a big day for the New Zealand team to win the ODI series despite narrowly missing out on inflicting a whitewash on South Africa in Potchefstroom

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2013Brendon McCullum said it was a big day for the New Zealand team to win the ODI series despite narrowly missing out on inflicting a whitewash on South Africa in Potchefstroom. New Zealand were a wicket away from their third consecutive win, but a six off the last ball by Ryan McLaren gave South Africa a consolatory win.”It would have been great to win the series 3-0,” McCullum said. “But winning the series, achieving what we’ve achieved in this series and even how we’ve played today as well, we’ve showed the characteristics that we want to be known for.”New Zealand made a shaky start after choosing to bat and were 68 for 4 in the 22nd over. But resurgent half-centuries by Grant Elliott, Colin Munro and James Franklin lifted them to a competitive 260. South Africa responded with a controlled chase, but the fall of Graeme Smith towards the end of the innings allowed the New Zealand bowlers to exert pressure on the inexperienced middle-order and almost pull off another win.”Our bowlers tried hard all day. The wicket did skid on a little bit, and it was probably slightly easier to bat on in that second innings,” McCullum said. “But that’s the nature of the toss as well and playing in foreign conditions. I can’t speak highly enough of the effort from our guys.””I thought we showed some real character and some real fighting qualities to hang in there, when we were behind the eight ball and get ourselves back in the game. Graeme Smith’s innings today was a phenomenal innings and deserved to be on the winning side.After the humiliation in the two Tests, McCullum saw the result in the ODIs as a big boost. He said the team showed it was capable of competing with the best but now needs to do it on a consistent basis.”We competed in the Twenty20s, but South Africa deserved the result; in Tests we were blown off the park by a team at the top of their game. It was a learning opportunity to see the best in action and see how far we need to improve, but to win the ODI series has been satisfying, not only for the group of players, but also for the management and the fans.”

Nick Compton’s good week continued when he was named the NatWest PCA Player of the Year

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2012Nick Compton’s good week continued when he was named the NatWest PCA Player of the Year while Joe Root, who was also called into the Test squad for the tour to India, was named the Young Player of the Year.Compton scored 1494 first-class runs for Somerset during the 2012 season and Root was close to a thousand including a career-best 222 against Hampshire.The overall England player of the year went to Ian Bell while Alastair Cook took the one-day award, a mark of his rise in the format, and Stuart Broad was named Test player.Back on the domestic scene, Warwickshire’s dominance of the County Championship was highlight by five of their players being included in the team of the year. Varun Chopra and Bell were part of the batting line-up while Jeetan Patel, Keith Barker and Chris Wright all made the bowling line-up. NatWest PCA Player of the Year Nick Compton (Somerset)
NatWest PCA Young Player of the Year Joe Root (Yorkshire)
ECB Special Award Bill Gordon
England FTI MVP of the summer Ian Bell
Friends Life t20 Player of the Year Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire)
Clydesdale Bank 40 Player of the Year Phil Mustard (Durham)
NatWest ODI Player of the Summer Alastair Cook
Investec Test Player of the Summer Stuart Broad
Sky Sports Sixes League Winner Gary Ballance (Yorkshire)
FTI Team of the Year Varun Chopra (Warwickshire), Chris Nash (Sussex), Ian Bell (Warwickshire & England), Steven Croft (Lancashire), Darren Stevens (Kent), Peter Trego (Somerset), Phil Mustard (Durham), Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire), Keith Barker (Warwickshire), Chris Wright (Warwickshire), Graham Onions (Durham)

Pakistan came within one wicket of compensating for a calamitous batting performance in the Under-19 World Cup quarter-final against India. Their captain Babar Azam said the narrow loss was very disappointing

George Binoy in Townsville20-Aug-2012Pakistan came within one wicket of compensating for a calamitous batting performance in the Under-19 World Cup quarter-final against India. They will now begin the contest for fifth place by playing West Indies on August 22.Having travelled north from Brisbane to Townsville, Pakistan were playing at the Tony Ireland Stadium for the first time. It had rained in the early hours of Monday and the skies were overcast. Yet, unlike most sides when playing strong bowling attacks at this venue, Pakistan chose to bat after winning the toss.The first hour has often yielded several wickets. England were 61 for 4 against Australia, and India were 50 for 4 against West Indies. Pakistan were 0 for 2 in the first over today.”We’ve been batting well [in the World Cup], so we’d thought we’d bat first, make 250,” Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, said when asked why he did not choose to bowl. “But that did not happen, early on the boys played some bad shots and we got out for a low score – we made 136.”The first two wickets weren’t to bad balls or bad shots though. Sandeep Sharma’s swing from leg to off stump made the left-handers Sami Aslam and Iman-ul-Haq play and edge to second slip. The duty of stablising the innings was left to Azam.”When two wickets fell, I just decided to play carefully and try and take the team towards 250,” he said. “But I couldn’t do it, when I got to 50 I played a loose shot and got out.”Having seen off the more potent threats from India’s seamers, Azam had just brought up his half-century when he chipped an offbreak from Baba Aparajith straight to Unmukt Chand at midwicket, the softest of shots.”We thought if we made 150-160 we could beat India, we had that much confidence in our bowling,” Azam said. “Our score was too low, but we still managed to take it until the final overs.”Defending 137, Azam’s confidence in his bowlers was not misplaced. The first wicket to fall – Chand for a duck – was via a spectacular catch on the backward point boundary and every fielder and substitute ran towards Ehsan Adil to congratulate him. Two edges were caught in quick succession. After five overs Pakistan had India at 8 for 3.”In the first five overs we dismissed three batsmen. I thought we could make a comeback,” Azam said. “There was a partnership and at the time we thought the game was slipping. But again the boys came back and we tried really hard.”India recovered through a partnership between Aparajith and Vijay Zol, but just when an Indian win seemed an inevitability, Pakistan claimed 4 for 7 to reduce India to 127 for 9. The next seven overs were fraught with tension as India’s last pair successfully toiled towards the target. “When the boys came back, and nine batsmen were out, we thought we could win the match,” Azam said. “The bowlers gave 100% but it didn’t happen. Sandeep Sharma and Harmeet Singh played really well.”We’re very disappointed. We had confidence against India, having played them in the Asia Cup – one match was tied and the other we won. When seven runs were remaining, we thought we could get the last wicket and win. When two runs were remaining, everyone was a bit down. A lot of us were very tense out there.”

The Mumbai Cricket Association’s academy has been virtually shut for the last seven months because of a lack of support staff, the chairman of the committee that oversees the academy has claimed

Tariq Engineer25-Feb-2012The Mumbai Cricket Association’s academy has been virtually shut for the last seven months because of a lack of support staff, Lalchand Rajput, the chairman of the committee that oversees the academy has claimed. Built at a cost of Rs 20 crore in 2007, the indoor facility was originally supervised by the former India batsman Dilip Vengsarkar, with former India wicketkeeper Chandrakant Pandit being the director of the academy.However Vengsarkar withdrew from the MCA after losing the election for president in July, 2011, while Pandit had to resign as director after joining the managing committee. Rajput, the former India batsman, told ESPNcricinfo that the MCA has not even appointed a replacement for Pandit yet.”There is no support staff yet,” Rajput said. “There is only one bowling coach, Pradeep Sundaram. There is no coaching director. There is no batting coach. There is no physio. There is no trainer. No video analyst. Nothing.”Rajput said he has sent eight emails to the secretaries of the MCA, but all them went unanswered. Their silence was the reason he took the matter to the press (the academy’s lack of staff was first reported in the , a tabloid, earlier this month).The MCA responded to Rajput’s public comments by issuing a show-cause notice, asking him to explain his actions. Rajput said he would be replying to the notice in the next few days and that he didn’t see why he should be criticised for airing what is his view of the situation.While MCA officials did not respond to phone calls from ESPNcricinfo, association joint-secretary Nitin Dalal told that the support staff would be appointed by the end of February (India’s domestic season ends in March). “The appointment of support staff at the indoor academy is on our priority list,” Dalal said.According to Dalal, the costs of hiring staff has contributed to the delay. “From this year onwards, we have started paying the support staff of various teams on a yearly basis instead of season-wise compensation,” he said. “So, we had to consider those costs as well. That is why there was a delay in appointments.”Former India captain Ajit Wadekar was critical of the MCA’s decision to issue a show-cause notice to Rajput. “Instead of taking concrete action, the MCA has issued show-cause notice,” Wadekar said. “If you are not listening to the man who is in-charge of the academy [Rajput], then who will you listen to? It is the MCA’s money in the end but it is sad to see it going down the drain in this manner.”When you can spend hundreds of crores in refurbishing a stadium [Wankhede], why can’t you do these small things?”Edited by Kanishkaa Balachandran

Ramnaresh Sarwan and Josh Cobb ended their century droughts as Leicestershire’s batsmen dominated

20-Apr-2012Leicestershire 318 for 7 (Sarwan 105, Cobb 105) v Derbyshire
ScorecardRamnaresh Sarwan and Josh Cobb ended their century droughts as Leicestershire’s batsmen dominated the second day of the County Championship match against Derbyshire at Derby.Sarwan celebrated a first-class hundred for the first time in 26 months while Cobb’s was his first since his maiden century four years ago. Sarwan was out for 105 after sharing a fourth wicket stand of 141 in 33 overs with Cobb who also made 105 as the visitors reached 318 for 7 before bad light ended play seven overs early.Leicestershire had been in trouble in the morning when they lost their second wicket to the 12th ball of the day with only 25 on the board. Tony Palladino claimed his 12th victim of the new season when Jacques Du Toit was caught behind down the leg side for 14 and both Greg Smith and Sarwan had to fight hard to stay in before rain forced an early lunch.Sarwan survived a fierce chance on 24 to Dan Redfern at extra cover three balls before the interval, but he did not give another until he had reached his first century for Leicestershire in his second match for the county.Smith helped him build a solid platform with 33 in three hours before he was bowled trying to cut David Wainwright but the tempo increased with the arrival of Cobb who took the attack to the bowlers. He pulled Wainwright for two sixes on his way to his first Championship fifty since 2010 and Sarwan also came down the pitch to loft Wes Durston over the long on boundary.Cobb pulled Wainwright for a third six after tea before Sarwan reached three figures from 183 balls when he tucked the left-arm spinner behind square for his 16th four. Derbyshire finally got rid of him when he pulled Ross Whiteley low to deep square-leg leaving Cobb to make his way to his first hundred since 2008.The 21-year-old got there when he steered the 155th ball he faced to the vacant third man boundary for his 12th four but he added only three more runs before he missed a big drive at Mark Footitt and was bowled.Derbyshire picked up another wicket when their former player Wayne White was caught behind cutting at Whiteley, but the day still belonged to Leicestershire although with more showers forecast for the weekend, the chances of a positive result in the match look slim.

A round-up of day three of the semi-finals of the Duleep Trophy 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2012In a contest of fightbacks, East Zone edged ahead of North Zone in Delhi. East came back strongly on the third day and gained a slender but significant first-innings lead. North were well positioned at 162 for 3 at stumps on the second day, in response to East’s 315, but Ashok Dinda tilted the scales with a career-best performance. He removed the overnight batsmen Mayank Sidhana and Paras Dogra, and dislodged the lower order to finish with 8 for 123 in 38 overs. From 211 for 4, North slipped to 287 all out, conceding a lead of 28 runs. East ensured the advantage didn’t slip. Opener Manish Vardhan scored an unbeaten half-century and Anustup Majumdar was going strong with him in a stand of 75, as East reached 120 for 1 at the close, stretching their lead to 148.Central Zone have batted South Zone out of the Duleep Trophy semi-final at Chepauk, virtually sealing their place in the tournament final. Central had stretched their lead to 237 at the end of the second day, and finished at 378 for 5 on the third – the lead extending further to 488. Naman Ojha, who was on 79 overnight, went on to score his eighth first-class century. Robin Bist, the highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy, continued his prolific run, scoring another ton, and at a fair clip. He was unbeaten on 104 at stumps off 178 balls, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (59*) was supporting him in a 160-run stand for the sixth wicket.