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Loughborough MCC University from England and Sri Lanka-based International College of Business and Technology stamped their credentials as strong title contenders as they crushed their opponents for the second-straight day at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2015Loughborough MCC University from England and Sri Lanka-based International College of Business and Technology stamped their credentials as strong title contenders as they crushed their opponents for the second-straight day at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy in Dehradun on Tuesday.ICBT was put in to bat by their opponents, Jinnah Degree College from Karachi – during their Group B encounter – and they lost opener Hasan Perera in the fourth over for just four.Nipuna Arachchige fell two-overs later, as the team from Pakistan looked to make more enroads. But A Perera and Sadeera Samarawickrama dropped anchor thereafter and began rebuilding the innings.The duo added 93 runs for the third wicket and that brought ICBT back in to the contest. JDC rued their all-spin strategy, as ICBT made the most of the placid surface and drove home the advantage.Perera top scored for ICBT with a 37-ball 54. They posted 150 in their 20 overs. Their bowlers didn’t let their batsmen’s efforts go in vein and picked up wickets regularly. JDC lost two wickets in the first-five overs for just 28.Shahzar Khan and Saeed Moutabar were the only JDC batsmen amongst the runs. Khan scored 20, while Moutabar added 23.A middle-order collapse ended JDC’s chances of making a comeback, as they lost five wickets for just 24 runs. They eventually crumbled for 108 in 18.1 overs.Loughborough MCC University added to European University of Bangladesh’s woes as they thrashed them by seven wickets in their Group A clash.
EUB were put in to bat first and their batsmen failed to find answers to LMCC’s new-ball attack. They lost two wickets in the first eight overs for just 29.Their middle order added 70 runs to their tally and that helped them post a respectable 118 in their 20 overs.LMCC lost opener Anish Patel in just the second over of their innings, but Irfan Karim and Nitish Kumar’s 91-run stand for the second wicket ended any hope of EUB finding their first win of the tournament.In the third match of the day, defending champions Assupol TUKS from South Africa thumped Dubai-based Heriot-Watt University by 109 runs to register their first win of the tournament.Murray Coetzee slammed the first ton of the tournament, which came off just 67 balls. Coetzee’s 160-run partnership with Gerald Pike, for the second wicket, helped TUKS post a massive 208 in their innings. HWU managed just 73 runs in reply.

Zimbabwe’s national selectors have recalled legspinner Graeme Cremer and wicketkeeper-batsman Regis Chakabva for the upcoming limited-overs matches against Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2015Zimbabwe’s national selectors have recalled legspinner Graeme Cremer and wicketkeeper-batsman Regis Chakabva for the upcoming limited-overs matches against Bangladesh. A ZC release confirmed that Elton Chigumbura will lead the 16-member squad for both the three ODIs and the two T20Is, starting November 7.Brian Chari, Kevin Kasuza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi and Christopher Mpofu, who were all part of Zimbabwe’s limited-overs squad which lost at home to Afghanistan, were omitted from the national team, but will join the Zimbabwe A squad for a home series against Bangladesh A.Chakabva was included in the team on the back of a strong performance for the A team against Ireland in Harare, where he scored a century in both innings. Cremer made the squad after recovering from an ankle injury. He last played for Zimbabwe earlier this month, during the home series against Pakistan, taking four wickets from four matches.Mashonaland Eagles’ captain Tinotenda Mutombodzi will lead Zimbabwe A for the three one-dayers, with Matebeleland Tuskers’ captain Godwill Mamhiyo deputising, while the two players will swap roles for the four-day matches.”We have picked a senior national squad that we believe will quickly recover from the disappointing series against Afghanistan and go to Bangladesh to show that we are a competitive nation,” Kenyon Ziehl, the convener of the national selection panel, said.”It’s also exciting to have the A side playing concurrently with the senior team as this will give us a clear picture of our depth. We hope the players included will make the most of this opportunity to play against a Bangladesh A which will be a quality side.”Zimbabwe squad: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva, Chamu Chibhabha, Tendai Chisoro, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Luke Jongwe, Neville Madziva, Wellington Masakadza, Richmond Mutumbami, Taurai Muzarabani, John Nyumbu, Tinashe Panyangara, Malcolm Waller, Sean WilliamsZimbabwe A one-day squad: Tinotenda Mutombodzi (captain), Ryan Burl, Brian Chari, Trevor Garwe, Kevin Kasuza, Godwill Mamhiyo, Prince Masvaure, Peter Moor, Tapiwa Mufudza, Natsai M’shangwe, Christopher Mpofu, Victor Nyauchi, Kudzai Sauramba, Donald Tiripano, Brian VitoriZimbabwe A four-day squad: Godwill Mamhiyo (captain), Brian Chari, Trevor Garwe, Joylord Gumbie, Roy Kaia, Hamilton Masakadza, Prince Masavaure, Peter Moor, Tapiwa Mufudza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Natsai M’shangwe, Victor Nyauchi, Vusi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Brian Vitori

A round-up of the Ram Slam T20 Challenge matches on November 15, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2015Kevin Pietersen stroked his way to a fourth straight 50-plus score, taking his tournament tally to 364 runs, but could not prevent Dolphins‘ five-wicket defeat to Cape Cobras in Centurion. With scores of 115*, 100* and 68 already under his belt this season, Pietersen helped himself to six fours and three sixes as he blasted a 35-ball 59 after Dolphins opted to bat. Pietersen, though, received little by way of support from his team-mates, as Wayne Parnell (4 for 20) struck at regular intervals to restrict the team to 148 for 9. Besides Pietersen, only David Miller and Ryan McLaren managed double-digit scores.Cobras’ opener Richard Levi got the chase off to a blazing start, drilling 61 off 28 balls with five fours and sixes each. Such was Levi’s dominance on the pitch that by the time he was dismissed, in the sixth over, his opening partner Andrew Puttick had made just 2. Levi’s blitz ensured that despite a middle-order stutter – four wickets fell in five overs – the team was able to overhaul the target in 19.4 overs, with Puttick (33) and Sybrand Engelbrecht (21*) also chipping in with handy knocks.Dwaine Pretorius’ all-round effort and legspinner Eddie Leie’s five-wicket haul helped Lions register a 20-run win in a low-scoring encounter in Bloemfontein, and kept Knights winless.Electing to bat, Lions’ innings gained no momentum right from the start, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Pretorius, who came in at No. 5, scored 35 off 28 balls to take their total to 112 for 7. Seamer Shadley van Schalkwyk was the pick of Knights’ bowlers, as he registered figures of 4-1-19-4.Knights were off to a quick start in their chase, as openers Reeza Hendricks and Rilee Rossouw put on 30 runs in 3.5 overs, before Lonwabo Tsotsobe had Rossouw caught and bowled for 11. It triggered a collapse, as Knights first slumped to 40 for 3 and then 64 for 6. Leie and Pretorius, who finished with three wickets, ensured that Knights were bowled out with one over to spare.Quinton de Kock’s 34-ball 60 set up Titans‘ five-wicket win over Warriors in a fairly one-sided contest in Centurion.Set 150 to win, de Kock and Henry Davids put on 71 for the first wicket in 8.5 overs before seamer Lundi Mbane removed Davids for a 35-ball 43. Offspinner Colin Ackermann then dismissed de Kock and captain Albie Morkel in the same over, but by then Titans were well ahead of the asking rate. Farhaan Behardien eventually completed the chase with 17 balls to spare.Earlier, after being put into bat, Warriors were off to a racy start, as captain Colin Ingram smashed 28 off 15 balls. But, his dismissal in the eighth over slowed things down, and Ackermann, who made 40 off 49 balls, was the fourth man out in the 16th over. Christiaan Jonker, however, played a cameo of 31 off 21 balls, and took the Warriors score past 100 and set a platform for a strong total. David Wiese finished with three wickets for Titans, while Chris Morris and Tabraiz Shamsi picked up two each.Following their victories, Dolphins and Titans now occupy first and second position on the standings, while Lions, by virtue of the win, have moved up to fourth spot. Cobras are placed third on the points table.

The chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association has admitted he is “seriously concerned” about the threat of terrorism to professional cricketers

George Dobell08-Dec-2015The chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association has admitted he is “seriously concerned” about the threat of terrorism to professional cricketers.Angus Porter, who runs the players’ union in England and Wales, described terrorism as “the greatest risk to players” and said he considers it a greater threat than impact injuries caused by the ball.”We have worked hard in minimising the chances of serious injury to players from impact injuries from the ball, and quite rightly,” Porter told ESPNcricinfo. “But history would suggest that such incidents, thankfully, are few and far between.”The greatest risk to players lies in terrorist attacks. I am very worried about it.”Of particular concern to Porter at present is the welfare of players taking part in the Bangladesh Premier League. With the UK Foreign Office currently warning of a “high threat from terrorism” in Bangladesh and advising British citizens to maintain “a low profile in all public spaces”, the ECB and PCA made each England-qualified player sign a disclaimer before they were provided the No Objection Certificate required to participate. Australia also recently withdrew from their tour of Bangladesh due to security fears.”I am worried right now about those players who have gone to play in the Bangladesh Premier League,” Porter said. “In light of the global situation and Foreign Office advice, we informed all players about the situation and asked them to confirm in writing that they understood the situation and the risks.”We will always err on the side of letting players make their own decisions, but we are very uneasy about their involvement at this time.”Attacks on sporting teams are nothing new. The 1972 Olympics was overshadowed by the murder of Israeli athletes while eight were killed when the Sri Lanka team bus was attacked in Lahore in 2009. But recent events in Paris, where a football match between France and Germany was one of the targets, has heightened concerns and provided a reminder of the need for tight security. ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC’s security assessment of World T20 venues will take place this week.”Am I concerned about the World T20? Yes, absolutely,” Porter said. “I don’t know whether Pakistan will take part, but I can see that there is a realistic chance that they won’t.”

Ireland have named their squad for the World T20, adding batsman Kate McKenna to the 14 who secured a place at the tournament by winning the ICC Qualifier late last year

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2016Ireland have named their squad for the World T20, adding batsman Kate McKenna to the 14 who secured a place at the tournament by winning the ICC Qualifier late last year.Isobel Joyce will captain the side, who have been drawn against Australia, the reigning champions, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka in Group A.”We’ve gone with the fourteen who performed so well out at the qualifying tournament in Thailand, with Kate McKenna also coming into the squad,” head coach Aaron Hamilton said. “Kate is an electric fielder, which is so important in the T20 game, and she will also bolster our batting line-up.”Cricket Ireland has also made a further coaching appointment for the World T20, which takes place in India in March, by bringing in former Australia wicketkeeper Julia Price – who played 10 Tests and 84 ODIs between 1996 and 2005 – as an assistant alongside Alex Cusack.”It’s great to have Julia joining our support staff for the World T20,” Hamilton said. “Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and coaching experience to the group.”Ireland women squad: Isobel Joyce (capt), Catherine Dalton, Laura Delany, Kim Garth, Jennifer Gray, Cecelia Joyce, Shauna Kavanagh, Amy Kenealy, Gaby Lewis, Robyn Lewis, Ciara Metcalfe, Kate McKenna, Lucy O’Reilly, Clare Shillington, Mary Waldron.

Australia’s vice-captain David Warner is adamant the new No. 1 Test team will not divert from the hard-edged playing style intrinsic to the game down under

Daniel Brettig25-Feb-20165:28

Five talking points from the Christchurch Test

Australia’s vice-captain David Warner is adamant the new No. 1 Test team will not divert from the hard-edged playing style intrinsic to the game down under, though he concedes that with better understanding of the DRS the ugly scenes glimpsed in Christchurch may not have happened at all.The captain Steven Smith and the fast bowler Josh Hazlewood were both fined for an incident where they aggressively questioned a third umpire decision in favour of Kane Williamson on the penultimate day of the series. While Warner did not wish to see Australia’s players retreat into their shells, he admitted the anger could be tracked back to the fact they did not realise how the DRS worked in that moment.Warner also added his opinion that the stump microphones, not meant to be turned on when the ball is dead, had exacerbated the situation. He said an explanation had been sought from the local broadcasters, with “human error” described as the reason for Hazlewood’s words being picked up.”In Steve’s case where they used the [HotSpot] but didn’t use the Snicko that’s where he was arguing the point why they didn’t use it,” Warner said on his return home to Sydney. “But with conclusive evidence for the third umpire saying he hit it, he didn’t need to use it.”When you’re on the field that’s not communicated to you, so that’s why he might have stepped across the line a little bit, and he didn’t know that until he came off the field. If he had his time again and he knew that he wouldn’t have debated that with the umpire.”There has been a bit of talk about the team and the aggressive brand of cricket that we play. Steve spoke about not trying to cross that line. Stump mics were turned up and they said it was so-called ‘human error’ which was convenient at the time.”Criticism of Australia’s aggression has seemed to arrive as if on cue with every major achievement by the team in recent times. There was the “broken f***ing arm” incident at the Gabba during the 2013-14 Ashes series, various hot-tempered scenes in South Africa the following year, and some much decried behaviour during and after the 2015 World Cup final.However the pattern of success means that there is little desire within the Australian side to retreat entirely from a style of play that attempts to make life uncomfortable for opponents with words and body language as well as bat and ball. Warner noted how the likes of Mitchell Johnson had felt increasingly inhibited by match officials about expressing themselves on the field.”We’re about playing the game in the right spirit, but we’ve got a passionate brand where if you look back at the history of Australian cricket we play an aggressive style,” Warner said. “A couple of the fast bowlers who’ve recently retired have stated that you are taking the aggression out for the bowlers a bit.”Back in the day you used to see these battles with the fast bowlers, the batter would play and miss and the bowler would say something. These days it’s taken the spark out of it a little bit – I love getting into a contest with the bowler, if he gets you out he gets the last laugh, but if you get on top of him then you can. But in the end it’s what the ICC has put in place and we need to respect that.”Ironically given New Zealand’s adoption of a higher road under the captaincy of Brendon McCullum, crowds across the Tasman subjected many of Australia’s players to repeated personal abuse. Warner said several times spectators were asked to leave for expressing sentiments he described as “vulgar”.”Doesn’t matter whether you’re home or away, you’re going to cop some form of abuse, but we don’t expect to wake up and be hounded for six or seven hours,” he said. “Some of the stuff was pretty derogatory and vulgar … the upsetting thing was the fact that if my two daughters were in the crowd I wouldn’t want them listening to that kind of stuff.”It’s irrelevant what they said, but just disappointing that was happening every game. A couple of bowlers were down on the boundary, you get your odd banter here and there but when they’re talking about people’s families and stuff it takes it a bit too far. Some of the boys raised the issue, not to express it to anyone, more just to say ‘can you get rid of this bloke’ because it’s just not necessary.”Warner himself played only a peripheral role in the series, making few runs with the bat and keeping himself out of trouble in the field. Asked why he has changed his behaviour, the response may be one for the ICC to keep in mind. “For me it was a 12-month probation,” he said. “That made me keep my mouth shut a little bit.”

A look at how the IPL teams stack up before the IPL auction, what their purses look like, and how they could spend the money available to them

Sidharth Monga05-Feb-20162:56

IPL auction 2016 explainer

The fact file

Squad composition: The squad size has been fixed to a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 27. Franchises may have a maximum of nine overseas players. There is no requirement that an IPL squad must contain players from the franchise’s catchment area.
Cost and contract: Teams cannot spend more than INR 66 crore each on their squad. This purse has been reduced by players retained and already traded, and by the way of the player draft for the two new teams. Every player bought at the 2016 auction will be on a one-year contract with the franchise having the option to extend the term for one more year.
Player retention: The window of player retention and trading closed on December 31. Daredevils and Sunrisers let go off the most players, and so now have the biggest chunk of their purse available: Daredevils INR 37.15 crore, Sunrisers INR 30.15 crore. As the two new teams didn’t have any players to begin with, they were allowed to pick five players each for a fixed price at the draft; they now have INR 27 crore each remaining in their purse.
Composition of the pool: Of the 351 players up for auction, 230 are Indian. Two are from ICC associate nations: Irish allrounder Kevin O’Brien base-priced at Rs 30 lakh and Canadian allrounder Nikhil Dutta at Rs 10 lakh. Of the 351 players, 219 are uncapped; 204 of these uncapped players are Indian. Among the 130 players who have been capped by ICC Full Members, Australians outnumber Indians by 29 to 26. As expected West Indies follow closely with 20, followed by South Africa and Sri Lanka’s 18 and 16.

Big Picture

On Friday India announced their squad for the World T20. While the chairman of selectors has started to take questions to explain his panel’s choices nowadays, the process is still not even half a patch on the grand spectacle of team selections: the IPL auction. A total of 351 players will be put up for sale. Teams will fight over the players in public, they will reject some because they have either valued themselves at a base price that is too high or they are not considered important enough. Only a maximum of 116 out of the 351 will be bought. A minimum of 28 must be picked up. Not more than 36 non-Indians can be bought.There will be steals, there will be ridiculous amounts of money thrown around – at least seemingly – inexplicably, you won’t be able to ask the franchises to make sense of it… but this, by the virtue of the sheer money involved, will draw the interest of many, not least those who will be playing cricket on the same day: New Zealand v Australia, South Africa v England, the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy, and the two T20 leagues in the Gulf.Of big interest will be how the two new teams – Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants – and Delhi Daredevils, who have once again decided to overhaul their squad at the auction, go.

Marquee players

There are nine marquee players: Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Shane Watson, Kevin Pietersen, Yuvraj Singh, Dale Steyn, Aaron Finch, Martin Guptill and Dwayne Smith. Only five of them have set their base price at Rs 2 crore*. Steyn is happy to begin his auction at Rs 1.5 crore, Finch at Rs 1 crore, and Guptill and Smith want to see how high they can soar from the starting point of Rs 50 lakh. Seven players outside the marquee list have their base price at Rs 2 crore: Michael Hussey, Dhawal Kulkarni, Kane Richardson, Sanju Samson, Dinesh Karthik, Stuart Binny and Mitchell Marsh. The lowest base price is Rs 10 lakh.

How the teams stack up

Delhi Daredevils
Players retained: 13; five foreigners
Auction purse remaining: Rs 37.15 crore
Can buy a maximum 14 players including four non-Indians. Can make do with as few as three players. If Zaheer Khan and Mohammed Shami are both fit by the time the IPL starts, they already have a decent attack with Nathan Coulter-Nile, Amit Mishra, Imran Tahir and Shahbaz Nadeem also retained. It’s the batsmen they will be after, to team up with Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy and Shreyas Iyer.Gujarat Lions
Players picked up at the draft: Five; three foreigners

Auction purse remaining: Rs 27 crore
Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Brendon McCullum, James Faulkner and Dwayne Bravo can be the nucleus of a really strong T20 team, but they will need to build the rest of the squad in just Rs 27 crore. They can’t be looking at more than two big-name signings, perhaps a batsman and a bowler each. Their acumen will come through in how they pick the less famous.Kings XI Punjab

Players retained: 14; four foreigners
Auction purse remaining: Rs 23 crore
They have the big-hitting capabilities of Glenn Maxwell, David Miller and Shaun Marsh, but they are in need of big-name bowlers to partner Axar Patel and Mitchell Johnson. Indian batsmen too will be on their agenda. They are likely to vie for Shane Watson and Dale Steyn. Not to mention they released George Bailey, which means they need a new captain.Kolkata Knight Riders
Players retained: 15; six foreigners
Auction purse remaining: Rs 17.95 crore
Ever since they spent big in 2010, Knight Riders have been a settled unit. Ten of the 11 players that played their last match remain in the squad. Their big loss is Jacques Kallis. They have one allrounder in Andre Russell, but they could go after Shane Watson in a big way if that’s the only player they can buy. And they need just one more to constitute an IPL squad.Mumbai Indians
Players retained: 19; six foreigners
Auction purse remaining: Rs 14.40 crore
The defending champions have retained the XI that won the final. Jasprit Bumrah, another retainee, didn’t even play that final. They will be the kids at school who have finished their homework with the potential of disrupting others or putting their heads down and studying extra. They might want to look at a possible back-up for Lasith Malinga, whose fitness cannot always be relied upon.Rising Pune Supergiants
Players picked up at the draft: Five; two foreigners
Auction purse remaining: Rs 27 crore
Fast bowlers. Bowlers with long run-ups. Yet another MS Dhoni team will go to the selection table looking for fast bowlers. Dale Steyn and Mustafizur Rahman are some of the bigger names they might be interested in, but mostly they will be the ones looking for smart buys just like Lions.Royal Challengers Bangalore
Players retained: 14; five foreigners
Auction purse remaining: Rs 21.62 crore
What Royal Challengers have: dazzling stroke-makers in AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli; the best white-ball quick in the world, Mitchell Starc; tearaways Adam Milne and Varun Aaron. What Royal Challengers don’t have: A title, and a balanced squad. They have a decent amount left in their purse to go in for allrounders and bowlers, and we know money available with Royal Challengers makes for a fun auction. How far will they go for Yuvraj Singh?Sunrisers Hyderabad
Players retained: 15; five foreigners
Auction purse remaining: Rs 30.15 crore
They have always been short on Indian hitters; the money saved by letting Dale Steyn go could come in handy. They could even just go for a big hitter from outside India. Kevin Pietersen might be high on their list.

India’s Supreme Court has told the BCCI that it might be inclined to send a few of the recommendations proposed by the Lodha committee back to the three-member panel for review

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Mar-2016India’s Supreme Court has told the BCCI that it might be inclined to send a few of the recommendations proposed by the Lodha committee back to the three-member panel for review. The two-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifullah, did not, specify, however, which recommendations it could ask the committee to review.The court made this observation on Thursday afternoon after hearing the arguments presented by BCCI counsel, KK Venugopal, who said that majority of the recommendations made by the Lodha committee ought to be reconsidered. The court set March 18 as the next date of hearing and has asked the BCCI and state associations to submit audited accounts of the expenses over the past five years through separate affidavits.As reported on Tuesday, the BCCI had expressed its reservations about the recommendations of the report. In an exhaustive affidavit, a copy of which was accessed by ESPNcricinfo, the BCCI listed it was against the following major recommendations proposed by the Lodha committee: one state one vote; drastic reduction on advertisements; inclusion of Comptroller & Auditor General of India’s nominee on managing committee and apex council; representatives of two franchises on the IPL governing council; prohibition on re-appointment for members of managing committee and cooling-off period; prohibition on association of ministers/government servants/persons holding posts in another sports body in honorary capacity; restriction of simultaneously holding office in a state association and the BCCI; age cap of 70 years for an office bearer; formation of players’ association funded by the BCCI; doing away with existing BCCI committees; bringing the board under the Right To Information Act; and legalising betting.

The Supreme Court’s sharp retorts

• BCCI: Yes Minister. Court: No Minister – The BCCI had also objected to the recommendation that barred ministers from holding a position in the board or in a state association. When the board’s counsel raised this point on Thursday, while pointing out the example of former BCCI president NKP Salve, who was also a government minister, Justic Thakur retorted: “So just because NKP Salve was there, you want every other minister also to be there? You are finding fault with having a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General on your governing council, but you don’t mind a minister?” Chief Justice Thakur said.

• “At 70, sit at home, watch TV” – The BCCI had also stated in its affidavit that if an office bearer was elected in democratic fashion, then there should not be an age cap of 70 years imposed, as had been recommended by the Lodha committee. “Merely because a person has attained the age of 70 years it does not mean that he ceases to function efficiently,” the BCCI affidavit said. When the BCCI counsel KK Venugopal raised the point, the court told him, “Lawyers like you get better with age, is that so with cricketers too? I don’t know. We feel 70 is a good age for retirement. At 70, they should sit at home and watch cricket on TV.”

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, who signed the affidavit, said that although the Lodha panel had sent the board office bearers an exhaustive questionnaire, it had not consulted the top brass while finalising the recommendations. “During my interaction with the Lodha committee, the committee did not seek my views on the proposed recommendations which ultimately find place in the [Lodha] report,” Thakur wrote.Chief Justice Thakur, however, was unimpressed by that statement. “It was international news that we had formed the Justice Lodha committee to suggest reforms in cricket. The whole world knew it. Now you come to us and say the recommendations were a bolt from the blue for you and you were not consulted… What were you doing? Waiting at the fence for a written invitation?” the Chief Justice told the BCCI’s legal counsel, according to the .On the one-state-one-vote recommendation, the BCCI feared that some states could easily “abuse” their vote, which would encourage corruption. “For instance, the one-country-one-vote system followed by FIFA has resulted in the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal where countries where there is little or no football activity were allegedly bribed by FIFA officials to vote in a particular manner.” To this the bench said: “If this is the first scandal in 50 or 100 years, it is hardly a test on the workability of the policy.”When Venugopal argued that it would disrupt the voting process practised for decades by the BCCI, the court suggested that the state associations should vote by rotation.The BCCI also argued strongly against the presence of a nominee from the CAG’s office on the proposed apex council, saying it was “contrary to law”, since the BCCI constitution does not allow a non-member to sit on the managing committee of the society.Venugopal also said that the ICC rules did not allow government representatives to be part of the Full Member boards and the global body may take the appointment of a CAG representative as government interference and, hence, derecognise the BCCI.The BCCI counsel said the board would accept a CAG nominee in an advisory role without any voting rights. The court, however, did not relent. “You don’t even want the CAG nominee on the outside as your conscience keeper?” Chief Justice Thakur said. “Suppose we ask you to put this nominee on the board, you fear that the ICC will disenfranchise you for complying with an order of the Supreme Court of India to have a person who gives you good advice… surely you don’t grudge good advice, do you?”The BCCI also disagreed with the recommendation to restrict advertisements during a match telecast to drinks and session breaks, instead of advertisements between overs and at the fall of the wicket. The BCCI said such a move would “cripple” its income as the broadcasters would pay a “fraction” of the sum being paid for ODIs while paying nothing for a Test match.According to Anurag Thakur, Star India, the host broadcaster, had apparently sent an e-mail to the BCCI on February 21, seeking “renegotiation of the amounts currently payable by them under the existing contract if advertisements are restricted as recommended.”When Venugopal read out figures accrued as profits from broadcasting revenues that were later disbursed to state associations, the court asked the BCCI and the state associations to file individual accounts for the past five years. “The prominent spirit should be viewer enjoyment. Do you mean that your commerce should overtake the enjoyment of the game?” Chief Justice Thakur asked.In addition to the BCCI, various state units – Mumbai Cricket Association, Maharashtra Cricket Association, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, Baroda Cricket Association – filed their individual presentations objecting to the Lodha committee report.When prominent lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing the Baroda association, said that his client would want approach the Lodha committee directly to suggest “certain amendments”, Chief Justice Thakur brushed the suggestion aside.”There is no question of you wanting it. We, the Supreme Court, will decide whether we are inclined to send some restricted issues back to the committee for its decision, that too within a limited span of time… Lodha Committee costs a lot of money for BCCI. It is not an easy committee,” the Chief Justice said.

Fast bowler Ryan Duffield and batsman Jonathan Wells are among the inclusions in Western Australia’s contract list for the 2016-17 season

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2016Fast bowler Ryan Duffield and batsman Jonathan Wells are among the inclusions in Western Australia’s contract list for the 2016-17 season. Opening batsman Jake Carder and fast bowler Josh Nicholas have also earned deals after making their first-class debuts last summer, while fast bowler Jhye Richardson and spinner Liam O’Connor have been upgraded from rookie contracts.Batsman Tom Beaton has been left out from last year’s list following a summer in which he played only three Sheffield Shield matches, while Marcus Harris has moved to Victoria and Matt Dixon has headed to Essex. Also gone from last year’s group are Mitchell Johnson, who has retired from first-class cricket, and Michael Hogan, who has retired from Australian first-class cricket.New rookies include the tall fast bowler Alex Bevilaqua, the allrounder Cameron Green, seamer Matthew Kelly and batsman Clint Hinchliffe, who was the Player of the Championships at the 2015-16 Under-19s Nationals. Hinchliffe, 19, is also a promising Australian rules footballer but missed out on selection in last year’s AFL draft.”We are very happy with the 2016-17 squad which continues to balance senior experience with some of the most talented young players in Australia,” Ben Oliver, the WACA general manager high performance, said. “They are all great people and we are excited about the potential for this group to achieve success on and off the field over the coming years.”We saw a snapshot of this success last season with eight players selected for Australia and four being awarded Cricket Australia contracts for 2016-17. This is something that everyone in WA cricket should be extremely proud of, while acknowledging that further national representation and a Sheffield Shield title are still to be achieved.”Western Australia squad Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Will Bosisto, Jake Carder, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile (Cricket Australia contract), Ryan Duffield, Michael Klinger, Simon Mackin, Mitchell Marsh (CA), Shaun Marsh (CA), David Moody, Josh Nicholas, Liam O’Connor, Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Rimmington, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Adam Voges (CA), Jonathan Wells, Sam Whiteman.
Rookies Alex Bevilaqua, Kyle Gardiner, Cameron Green, Clint Hinchliffe, Josh Inglis, Matt Kelly.

As he prepares for an ODI tri-series in the Caribbean, Mitchell Marsh is happy with his progress in limited overs cricket, but admits he needs more runs in Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2016After having recovered from the side strain that curtailed his IPL stint this year, Mitchell Marsh is ready to play his part in Australia’s busy schedule over the next few months. His immediate focus was on the ODI tri-series in the West Indies from June 3 but then he hoped to cement a Test spot at No. 6 when Australia tour Sri Lanka in July-August.As such, ensuring his body had enough time to heal became a priority. “It was a very minor injury, but a side strain is one of those things where you can turn a ten-day injury into a ten-week injury just like that, so it was best that I came home,” Marsh said of the decision to leave Rising Pune Supergiants in the middle of the season. “Whilst the IPL is a great tournament and I love playing in it, the country always comes first and the right decision was made.”Marsh admitted he has been unable to play as much cricket as he would like due to issues with his fitness and taking such precautions have helped him contribute a lot more consistently for Australia. Since a hamstring injury in the 2014-15 home Tests against India, he has been part of the XI in all three formats quite regularly.”As a young kid, I didn’t value fitness training and getting my body in peak condition, but over the last two years I have really started to make a lot better choices off the field and I’ve seen the results. I’ve played a lot more cricket than I ever had. To get through an international season, which is 12 months of the year, obviously you’re going to have a few niggles going as hard as we do but to get through unscathed was a great reward for the hard work I’ve done.”Appraising his place in the overall set-up, Marsh believed he has developed into a genuine allrounder in the shorter formats, but has some way to go before he can say the same in Test cricket.”I think in the shorter formats, I’ve certainly gained a lot of confidence in both facets of the game and I consider myself a genuine allrounder now,” Marsh said. “But in Test cricket, the proof is in the pudding, I haven’t been able to make as many runs for the team as I would have liked. Although I’ve watched the team make a lot of runs, which is also great, watching your team-mates succeed but I haven’t put the runs on the board yet so I can’t really classify myself as a genuine allrounder in the Test format. I’m hoping that over the next 12 months, that will change and I will be cemented at the No. 6 Test spot.”My bowling was something I had to work extremely hard on if I wanted to be a genuine allrounder. That’s what the selectors want. Got [former Australia bowling coach] Craig McDermott to thank for that. He’s obviously known my father [Geoff Marsh] for a long time so I think anytime that I need him, he’s only going to be a phone call away”Marsh is one of two allrounders headed to Sri Lanka, Moises Henriques being the other and he viewed the competition for spots as a healthy situation.”In a tour like Sri Lanka, I think the more allrounders the better because it gives you an opportunity to play more spinners if the wicket is going to be turning,” Marsh said. “Moises has worked extremely hard. He has been a little unlucky throughout his career with injuries, but I am sure he is going to jump at the opportunity to be back on tour with Australia. I’ve got a great relationship with him. He is a similar sort of player, he has got a lot of experience and I’ll be learning as much as I can from him.”Marsh and the rest of the Australians stopped in New York on Monday before reaching the Caribbean in an attempt to diminish the possible impact of the jet lag on their on-field performances. “Pretty much,” Marsh confirmed. “That’s definitely the case. We’re obviously extremely lucky that Cricket Australia have allowed us to do that. We’ve had a chance to get out and about and see what the city has to offer but we’re still focussed on our task at hand over the next month and we’re looking forward to getting to Guyana first.”Australia begin their tri-series campaign against hosts West Indies on June 5.