Clare Connor, head of the ICC’s women’s cricket committee, talks about strategy and funding plans for women’s cricket, and the decline of their Test game

Interview by Siddhartha Talya30-Jul-2012What is the biggest challenge facing women’s cricket today? Is it a lack of recognition, a lack of visibility?
I think those are the challenges that have always existed. I won’t say they are the most significant challenges that the women’s game faces.It’s probably better to look at the opportunities the women’s game has got, especially with what the T20 format has brought to the game in the last few years, the growing numbers of women and girls that are taking up the game globally in really exciting pockets of the world that have never experienced cricket at all before. Those are huge opportunities for growth.The obvious opportunity that we must capitalise on is the decision the ICC board has made to commit to the ICC World Twenty20 being a joint men’s and women’s event moving forward. That is a huge opportunity to drive the profile and exposure for the women’s game.Obviously, funding is going to be an issue, with ever-tightening budgets across all sport and across all businesses, so the opportunity to find funding through non-conventional sources, through government funds, corporate social responsibility funds, different commercial opportunities… we have to really explore what those are. What were your immediate objectives when you took over as the head of the women’s cricket committee at the ICC in July last year? You’ve also spoken about the ICC’s strategic plan for women’s cricket – could you share that with us briefly?
One of my short-term priorities when I took over a year ago was to really get our teeth firmly into the Females in World Cricket strategy, which the women’s committee has been working on for the last 12 to 18 months. There are five pillars to the strategy.One is growth, in terms of participation, so the number of females playing the game globally grows, but also growth in investment.[Second is] the performance standards of the women’s game at the highest level, so we’re really trying to push the number of highly competitive women’s teams. We just don’t want to rest on a strong five or six; we need a game that is strong across the globe with more and more international games being played.Profile is another pillar of that strategy, so trying to drive the profile of the women’s game through broadcast rights, negotiations, double-headers in the T20 format, and for more of our Full Members to have female-specific promotional plans in place.There are two other key pillars. One is around integration and influence. How can we, as the ICC women’s committee, really help the full integration of the women’s game? The main way, we think, is through influence – so having more champions for the women’s game across the globe, having regular international forums focusing on females in cricket, keeping the engagement of key staff through the ICC’s senior management, and also across the Full Member level, on everything related to the women’s game – that’s a really big piece for us. From my experience with the England and Wales Cricket Board, which is my day job, the better integrated the women’s game becomes, the more natural it becomes for all members of staff to see women’s cricket as the same entity as boys’ and men’s cricket. Obviously there will be some subtle differences, but in terms of driving opportunity, participation, income, setting budgets, coach education, all of those areas, we have to get as integrated as possible.The final pillar of our strategy is around optimising the enthusiasm for cricket in Asia, especially with the World Twenty20 coming up and the women’s World Cup coming up in India in February 2013, and the next World T20 for the men and women being in Bangladesh. So we’ve got a big opportunity there to engage with Asia and a growing passion for women’s cricket in that part of the world.You spoke of funding. Women’s cricket doesn’t have the kind of viewership among TV audiences that men’s cricket does. What are the sources of funding that women’s cricket receives?
Each member funds women’s cricket differently, so it’ll be hard for me to generalise. As you rightly say, a huge importance is placed on broadcast rights, and one of our aspirations is for all ODI members to include women’s cricket in their next broadcast rights negotiations. I don’t think that’s too lofty an ambition.We have to look at non-conventional sources of income, so looking at the activity agenda, the obesity agendas, health agendas, other government funding streams which might be out there – they certainly exist in England and I’m sure those opportunities exist for other members as well.I think there is a lot of partnership work that can be done. I’m sure with some creative thinking and some partnership thinking, there are funds out there.

“One of our aspirations is for all ODI members to include women’s cricket in their next broadcast rights negotiations. I don’t think that’s too lofty an ambition”

We’ve had about five seasons of the IPL now and one of the things people say is that it has drawn more women and children to the game. If I were to flip that around and ask you, what does women’s cricket need to do to attract more men to watch the format?
It’s brilliant to see loads and loads of young females having a great time at IPL matches, but what we need to focus on is not how do we bring more male or female spectators in; we just have to appeal generally by having good, competitive matches, focusing on where we stage those matches.I think we have to appeal to families. That way we attract young people and we attract men and women. It’s just a case of having a good product, having good competitive teams on display and the importance of maximising the opportunity to play double-headers alongside the men’s game.There have been some key tipping points. For instance, the semi-final of the World Twenty20 in 2009 between England and Australia women, which was played just before the men’s semi-final. Many male cricket fans came out, and cricket writers such as Mike Atherton, Mike Selvey and Nasser Hussain – lots of those guys came out and said that that game of cricket between England and Australia women, where England chased down 164, was one of the games – if not game – of the tournament, regardless of whether we’re talking about men’s or women’s tournament.If we put a good product on and if the skills are high, the athleticism is high, we all know that that will appeal to men and women alike.Speaking of having double-headers, is the women’s cricket committee considering having something along the lines of the FTP that the men have?
We do have something similar in place. It’s not a legally binding contract, as it is in the men’s game, but when the women’s committee meets, that is something on our agenda – to look at the FTP in the women’s game, how much is being played.One of the things we have done in the last six months is increase the number of the minimum standard regulations, the number of games – bilateral cricket – that must be played in the ODI and T20 format. So that’s something we’ve been constantly looking to address – really encourage as much bilateral cricket as possible, so that players have the opportunity to play in all different sorts of environments and all different sorts of opposition. What we don’t want is for members to become too reliant on the ICC events.Women haven’t played a Test match since early 2011. Why is that?
This is a really difficult subject. As you rightly said, the only Test cricket that remains in the women’s game, or has been over the last few years, is between England and Australia. The Test you mentioned was the Ashes Test – it was a one-off Test match in Australia. It really polarises opinion. For me, personally, I would hate to see Test cricket disappear for women.However, the reality is that since the T20 format came into being in international cricket in 2004, there has barely been any Test cricket. That’s because the T20 format gives us that platform. It’s a shorter format, it’s more likely to grow the game from a participation perspective and from a commercial perspective. It gives us probably more opportunity to get on television, and I think that is the way the women’s game is headed. That’s the reality and we have got to embrace that, and we are, with more and more double headers, as we talked about.But I do believe there is a place for women’s Test cricket. I’ve played the game myself and some of my greatest memories as an international player were of Ashes contests between us and Australia. I think until the women’s game is fully professionalised and players can afford to be on tours of up to two or three months, like the men do, it’s very hard to fit in all three formats. The reality is: if we don’t play Test cricket, if Australia and New Zealand, for instance, are no longer going to play Test cricket, in the period of time needed to play a Test match, they could play three T20 games. They can get them on television and they can play alongside the men, and that’s a huge opportunity.Speaking of wanting to professionalise women’s cricket, in a lot of countries women still have alternate careers alongside playing cricket at the highest level. Is there much being done by the ICC to incentivise women’s cricket a lot more, drive more women to take up cricket as a professional career? England and Australia came out with contracts for women in 2008. You do have a contracts system in place in the West Indies.
I do believe the ICC can advise, in terms of the governance areas of women’s cricket, the performance standards and participation and all those things that we’ve talked about. So long as there is a really healthy bilateral FTP in place and so long as the ICC sees that the performance standards in the women’s game are going up, I don’t think it’s up to the ICC necessarily to legislate on whether the women’s players should be fully contracted or fully professional. In an ideal world, yes, we would see that, but I don’t think we are probably ready for it yet, and I don’t think there are enough countries ready to fully professionalise the women’s game for there to be enough women’s cricket to be played that is commercially viable, if you like.Clare Connor: “I don’t think we are in a position yet to fully centrally contract across all teams, and I don’t think it’s the ICC’s decision to force that implementation”•Getty ImagesLots of members are making really good strides with different types of contracts, whether they be central contracts or coaching contracts or part-time contracts. One of the best cases of how that’s helped improve standards has been the West Indies, who in the last four years have really shot up the rankings and are a force to be reckoned with. There is the evidence there to show that some form of contracts is really useful and can be beneficial, but I don’t think we are in a position yet to fully centrally contract across all teams, and I don’t think it’s the ICC’s decision to force that implementation.Finally, if you were to talk of expanding cricket beyond the traditional cricketing world, how has the reaction been among women taking up the sport in Associate countries and other countries? Has the ICC been involved in development programmes in these countries?
Yes they have, and the work that’s being done by the regional development teams across the world is staggering, and I can now see that in the position I now hold on the ICC development committee. I had no idea, really, if I am honest, until the last 12 months, of the fantastic work being done across the regions in terms of developing the women’s and girls’ game.What’s really exciting and provides the women’s game with a huge opportunity is taking cricket to new territories – for instance to Papua New Guinea or to Thailand. What you can do there is grow the women’s game as quickly if not more than the men’s and the boys’ game because it’s completely new in itself anyway. It’s a new activity, a new opportunity, and whilst boys and men might have lots of other team sports in which to participate, cricket provides women and girls with a whole new opportunity that they possibly haven’t had before.The numbers, the growth we’re seeing in places like PNG, EAP, in Thailand – the women’s and the girls’ game is growing far more quickly in Thailand than the men’s and the boys’ game. We have to really harness that enthusiasm, look at why it’s working, what is driving that growth and enthusiasm in those areas, and work to share that best practice in other regions for whom it might also be relevant. That, for me, is certainly one of the most exciting parts of the experience I’ve had in the ICC in the last 12 to 18 months.

Brett Lee provided cricket fans with plenty of highlights during his 13-year international career. ESPNcricinfo presents a selection of five of Lee’s most memorable moments

Brydon Coverdale13-Jul-20121999: Rattling Ramesh
There is no bigger stage for an Australia cricketer to make his Test debut than Boxing Day at the MCG. That’s where Lee wore the baggy green for the first time, at the age of 23, and was already being spoken of as a bowler with serious pace and menace. When he was given the ball for the first time by captain Steve Waugh, it took him only four deliveries to have an impact. Lee rattled the stumps of S Ramesh, the India opener, with a delivery that angled across him and straightened back to take the inside edge. Ramesh didn’t quite know what had struck him. Lee finished the innings with five wickets, and a fine international career was under way.2002: The fall of Tudor, et al
This was not the first, and certainly not the last, time that Lee struck a batsman on the helmet. But it was arguably the most memorable. Alex Tudor, the England fast bowler, was a more than capable batsman whose best Test score was an unbeaten 99. He wasn’t capable, though, of handling a Lee bouncer at the WACA. Tudor misjudged the length of the ball and ducked into it, copping such a blow to the head that he was stretchered from the ground. Plenty of better batsmen also struggled against Lee’s short ball. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was knocked out by a Lee bouncer during a 2008 Test and lay flat on the pitch for a period, before he staggered to his feet and went on to score a century. Jacques Kallis was done by the old one-two during the 2005 Boxing Day Test, when he was hit on the helmet trying to hook Lee and was bowled next delivery by an inswinging yorker. And Adam Parore suffered the indignity of being out hit wicket during an ODI in Dunedin in 2000 when a Lee bouncer hit his helmet, which fell off his head and hit the stumps.Alex Tudor had to leave the field on a stretcher after a tangle with Brett Lee’s bouncer•Hamish Blair/Getty Images2003: An ODI hat-trick
Yes, it was against Kenya, but a hat-trick is a hat-trick. In the fourth over of a World Cup match in Durban, Lee reduced Kenya to 3 for 3 with a display of fast bowling that was simply too good for his opposition. He was fortunate to take the first of the three wickets, when Kennedy Otieno tried to leave a rising delivery outside off stump, only for the ball to ricochet off his elbow onto the stumps. Otieno went down writhing in pain, and as was always the case in such situations, Lee was the first man on the scene to check if the batsman was okay. The next ball was edged to slip by Brijal Patel, and the third was a fast yorker that whizzed under the bat of David Obuya and broke the stumps.2005: A batsman vanquished
Not all of Lee’s most defining moments came as a bowler. Arguably the most famous image of Lee is that of him squatting on his haunches being consoled by Andrew Flintoff at the end of the 2005 Edgbaston Test, one of the most famous matches in modern Ashes history. Australia began the fourth morning at 175 for 8, needing another 107 for victory. It appeared to be a hopeless situation. But Lee and Shane Warne, and then Lee and Michael Kasprowicz batted, and batted, and batted, and pushed Australia to within sight of what would have been an incredible win. Except that it wasn’t. Only three runs remained for victory when Steve Harmison caught the glove of Kasprowicz and the ball looped to the wicketkeeper Geraint Jones. Lee remained unbeaten on 43. In his retirement speech, Lee reserved special mention for this Test.Brett Lee celebrates taking a hat-trick in the World Cup against Kenya•Getty Images”That’s still one of my favourite Test matches to play in because of the way it was played, [in] the spirit of the game,” Lee said. “You don’t always have to get a five-for or a hundred for it to be a wonderful match.”2005: A ball that vanished
A happier batting memory came later that year, when Lee struck what can only be described as one of the biggest sixes in Australian cricket history. It came in a Gabba Test against West Indies, when Daren Powell put a ball right in the slot for a monstrous pull from Lee. The connection of bat on willow echoed around the ground and players, spectators and commentators seemed uncertain of exactly where the ball had ended up. The answer was over the grandstand and, as Wisden reported, the ball “landed near the feet of Carl Rackemann, the former Test fast bowler, shortly after he had passed through the turnstiles with his wife and young daughter”. There were no half measures with Lee, whether bowling or batting.

He found overwhelming success in his first seven Tests but is now struggling in England. It’s all to do with the nuts and bolts of how he bowls

Aakash Chopra19-Aug-2012Fifty one wickets at 14.15 runs per wicket in seven Test matches, against three different opponents. Ten wickets in a match twice, five wickets in an innings six times, and four-fors twice. Vernon Philander has been a phenomenon that has taken Test cricket by storm.Philander is the second-fastest in Test history to 50 wickets, and those 50 came at the speed at which Usain Bolt runs. It was as if every time Philander bowled an away-going delivery, it found the outside edge of the batsman’s bat and then the safe hands of the wicketkeeper or slips. And every time the ball nipped back after pitching, it eluded the bat and either trapped the batsman in front or disturbed the stumps behind him.So it is surprising that there is nothing really extraordinary about Philander’s bowling. He has simply relied on the basics of maintaining a disciplined line and length – a strategy he believes “works anywhere in the world”. Surely, though, there must be something that made him so much more successful than most have managed to be at the start of a career? And why isn’t the magic working in England at the moment?This is an attempt to decode the Philander puzzle.Movement off the surface without any visible hints
Philander looks quite innocuous when compared to his fast bowling colleagues, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn. He doesn’t have the disconcerting bounce that Morkel can achieve, nor does he get the ball to swing prodigiously in the air at high speeds like Steyn does. He’s not as tall as Morkel nor does he run in as fast as Steyn.But Philander compensates for the lack of these natural gifts by getting the ball to dart around after pitching, without giving clues about where it will go.Thousands of hours of practice hardwire a batsman to look for certain clues in a bowler’s action – like the wrist position at the time of release, the position of the seam, and which way the shiny side faces in the air – to predict the ball’s behaviour in the air and off the surface. If the ball starts swinging in one direction the moment it leaves the bowler’s hand, you can assume with a reasonable degree of confidence that it is unlikely to dart the other way after pitching.For example, if a bowler bowls a good outswinger, the chances of the delivery coming in to the right-hander after pitching are minimal. Batsmen comfortable against the moving ball have mastered the art of playing in that imaginary second line.Unfortunately, this theory isn’t going to help batsmen facing Philander, because his deliveries rarely move in the air before pitching, especially when the ball is a few overs old. He delivers it with a completely upright seam, and nothing in his wrist position or action betrays his intentions with regard to movement off the surface.As a batsman, you can only prepare for what you can see, and if the ball hasn’t moved an inch before it lands, it’s fair to assume it won’t do so after pitching. But that isn’t always the case with Philander’s deliveries, most of which change direction after hitting the surface. This forces the batsman to read him off the pitch. Most batsmen struggle even when reading a spinner off the surface because there is so little time to adjust, so you can imagine their plight against a quicker bowler like Philander.

Would you rather face Steyn, Morkel or Philander? Ten out of ten batsmen will choose Philander over the other two, seven days a week

Teasing and testing line and length
For all the movement he gets off the surface, Philander would be only half the bowler he is if he bowled a few inches left or right of the line he bowls currently. He bowls from fairly close to the stumps and maintains a line consistently on the fourth or fifth stump – a few inches outside off. His length is also a bit fuller than Steyn’s and Morkel’s, so it not only forces the batsman to get on the front foot, it also ensures that the ball can’t be left on bounce – since it is always around knee high. Since the batsman is forced to get on the front foot, there isn’t enough time to adjust for lateral movement off the surface.Lowering the guard
Would you rather face Steyn, Morkel or Philander? Ten out of ten batsmen will choose Philander over the other two, seven days a week. The fact that he has been taking wickets with alarming regularity is unlikely to influence their decision – an irrational one – because batsmen are conditioned to believe that a lot of swing, disconcerting bounce and genuinely fast bowling are more difficult to tackle than subtle movement off the pitch. However, the level of difficulty a bowler poses isn’t always directly proportional to the number of wickets he takes. There are lots of bowlers who look very dangerous but don’t bowl enough wicket-taking deliveries. It doesn’t come as a surprise that most batsmen automatically concentrate harder when facing the likes of Steyn and Morkel, and are happy to switch ends to face Philander instead. If you are happy to face a certain bowler, the odds of lowering your guard against him increase. While Philander’s line and length force a batsman to play at almost everything, his pace – or the lack of it, when compared to his bowling partners – makes him the more desirable bowler to face.For these reasons, he could be a very potent partnership breaker in slightly seamer-friendly conditions. But the first two Test matches in England have exposed him to the thorny side of international cricket. Philander is at his best when the ball zips off the surface, because it reduces the time the batsman has to adjust to the lateral movement. The moist and soft English pitches may have offered him movement, but because they are also slow, England’s batsmen have had the much-needed extra time to make the right adjustments.Unless he makes some adjustments of his own, Philander is likely to struggle in dry subcontinental conditions as well, because those placid tracks won’t provide the substantial sideways movement he relies on, and the lack of pace will give the batsman a fraction extra time.Philander has impressed us with his speed in the 100-metre dash. Now he needs to brace himself for the marathon that is international cricket.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the second semi-final in Colombo

Andrew Fernando in Colombo05-Oct-2012Knockout of the day
George Bailey had led a mini-resistance alongside Pat Cummins, and thanks to their 68-run partnership from 36 balls, Australia had cause to hope again. Kieron Pollard and Bailey had stared each other down even before the over began, and though Bailey hit four from the first ball, Pollard dismissed both him and Cummins from the second and third balls of the over to effectively seal the result and send West Indies to the final.Celebration of the day
Gayle’s Gangnam Style dance has been a theme of West Indies campaign, and over the three weeks, his teammates, and even the West Indies Women have imitated him in their wicket celebrations. West Indies took it to a new level after completing their semi final victory, when the entire team met mid-pitch and performed the dance, lasso move and all, while the DJ blasted the K-Pop phenomenon. It is rumoured the team hope to have large amounts of trash blasted at them if they win the final on Sunday.Dismissal of the day
When David Warner under-edged the last ball of the first over and the stumps were broken, even the bowler Samuel Badree seemed uncertain of what had happened. Initially it looked like wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin was appealing for a stumping, but replays showed Warner remained well in his crease. Eventually it dawned that the ball had dislodged the bails on the way to the wicketkeeper, and what is usually the most obvious and comprehensive dismissal in the game required a ruling from the third umpire.Shacklebreaker of the day
Chris Gayle appeared to be playing the same sort of frustrating innings Tillakaratne Dilshan had played in the first semi final when he had managed only 4 from nine balls. He finally connected with the last ball of the sixth over and the colossal strike over long off from Shane Watson lurched Gayle’s innings into top gear. It was the first of 14 sixes Australia suffered in the innings.Fielding of the day
Usually it’s batsmen who face chin music, but fast bowler Mitchell Starc got a little bit of his own medicine when Chris Gayle swatted one flat and fast to cow corner. Starc came in hoping to catch the ball on the full, but the ball bounced well short of him and the best he could do was stop it with his face.Relaxed running of the day
Coaches will tell young players to always run the first one hard, and then look to take a second, but Kieron Pollard and Chris Gayle did exactly the opposite in the sixteenth over, when they took two runs off Pat Cummins. Having hit the ball softly into a wide open space on the leg side, the pair sauntered casually for the first, before looking up and realising the fielders were still nowhere close to the ball. Almost reluctantly, Gayle realised they should probably take two, and began sprinting back down the pitch, and Pollard followed suit.

There are other of wicketkeepers in England who are excellent with the gloves, and many also proficient with the bat, but none who combine both disciplines with the ability of England’s current gloveman

George Dobell at Headingley05-Aug-2012It was perhaps fitting that another fine performance from Matt Prior should be overshadowed by events beyond his control. With Kevin Pietersen making a remarkable century, the UK media full of stories of Olympic success and poor weather dousing remaining interest in this Test, it will go largely unrecorded that Prior contributed his second half-century of the series.This was a typically selfless innings, too. His strike-rate – 76.40 runs per 100 balls – was better, even, than Pietersen’s and he only fell when, left with just tail-enders for company, he perished searching for quick runs. Some in that position might have sensed a “not out”.Prior helped England into the lead but it might have been better had he enjoyed more support from the lower-order. Instead Tim Bresnan edged a straight one and Stuart Broad perished to an ugly slog unworthy of one so talented. A supportive 20 might have helped Prior build a lead of 100. Instead they only sneaked in front.It was a far from untypical display from Prior. Batting at No. 7 he is destined to either come to the crease after the gold rush, with his top-order colleagues having already taken the opportunity to fill their boots, or forced to rebuild with his side under pressure. Either way, and his Test batting average – 42.91 – and his strike-rate – 65.22; the highest in the side – underlines the impression that might well merit selection as a specialist batsman. Bearing in mind his vastly improved keeping over the last couple of years and he has become a highly valued all-round player for England. There is no obvious understudy to him in the English game. Plenty of county keepers can bat; several can keep wicket: few if any combine the disciplines as well as Prior.But Prior is, it seems, destined to forever play the part of support act. Only once in his 57-match Test career has he been awarded the man of the match and even when he produces outstanding performances – such as his exceptional century against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2010 – someone else produces an even more eye-catching performance to capture the headlines. On that occasion it was James Anderson, with 6 for 17 to bowl out Pakistan for just 80. They say that the best keepers often go unnoticed, though, so perhaps such issues will not bother him.

Miracles have occurred before on this ground and perhaps, with South Africa carrying a few injury worries, they may be more vulnerable than normal.

Certainly it was typical that, when asked about Kevin Pietersen’s influence on this match and his future in the England side, Prior chose to answer from a collective rather than individual perspective. There was a passive acceptance, however, that Pietersen’s future in all forms of the international game remains unclear.”What makes this team brilliant is 11 players pulling in the same direction,” Prior said. “It is a team. No one person has done more than anyone else. To have 11 blokes pulling in the same direction is a very powerful thing. Kevin Pietersen has been a big part of that. Of course you want him in your team. You watch a bloke bat like he has in this game and of course you want him in your team. Who wouldn’t? It would be a huge loss and a sad loss, but the important thing is that whoever comes in pulls in the same direction with all 11 of us.”Prior also defended the performance of England’s bowlers in the series, insisting that their difficulty in bowling out South Africa was more testament to excellent batting than any fault in the bowling. He also suggested that, on a pitch showing some signs of uneven bounce, that South Africa could yet face a tricky final day.”At the Oval there were times when our bowlers may have been a bit down on their pace, but in general they have worked really hard and bowled really well,” Prior said. “I think we have to take off our hat to the South African batters. They have played really well and they have left the ball really well. They have a class side and they are allowed to play well. But the way Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad bowled today was fantastic. That’s what makes tomorrow quite an exciting day: if we can get a couple of early wickets, you never know.Matt Prior’s skills with bat and gloves often go under the radar•PA Photos”It’s frustrating that it rained. It would have been nice to bowl at them all day, pick up a few wickets and put them under a bit of pressure going into the last day,” Prior said. “But one thing I would say is that there are probably only two results possible now: a draw and an England win. For them to know that they have to bat out a day can be quite tough from a mental point of view. We’re going to have to come at them very hard in the morning. We’re going to need some luck and a lot of skill, but who knows. The ball is still swinging and hopefully, if it is an overcast day, the ball will hoop around.”Bearing in mind the evidence of the series to date it seems unlikely to think that England can rip through South Africa in a session-and-a-half. After all, three of the South African top four are averaging 100 or more and the other is averaging 91. But miracles have occurred before on this ground and perhaps, with South Africa carrying a few injury worries, they may be more vulnerable than normal. In truth, though, you suspect that a less than vintage Test momentarily lit up by one outstanding display of skill will slip into a watery grave on the final day.

A timeline of the Deccan Chargers saga, from its stirrings to the franchise’ termination

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2012June 15, 2012
News emerges that Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (DHCL), the owners of the Deccan Chargers side, are exploring the possibility of selling the franchise.July 16, 2012
Former Chargers chief executive Tim Wright wins a case of wrongful dismissal against the franchise and is awarded £10.5 million ($16 million approx), plus legal costs, by the High Court in London. He was dismissed by the Chargers in January 2009; he began legal proceedings against them the following month. In September 2012, Wright registers a ‘foreign decree’ in an Indian court to enforce the judgement passed by the London court.August 15, 2012
The franchise is given until the end of the month by the BCCI to pay its players their dues, as it had defaulted on the scheduled date. The board also seeks an explanation for the owners mortgaging the team ownership rights to two leading Indian banks.September 6, 2012
DHCL, under pressure from lenders to service its debt obligations, puts the franchise up for sale, officially, after approaching the BCCI for help.September 13, 2012
DHCL refuses the sole bid it receives at the auction. The “price and terms” of the bid from PVP Ventures, a company that finances film projects in India, are deemed “not suitable” by the owners. Reports say the offer was for Rs.900 crore (then US$164 million).September 14, 2012
The BCCI terminates the Deccan Chargers franchise, claiming defaults of payments to players, foreign boards and its possible “deleterious” effects on the IPL prompted the decision. DHCL challenges the decision in court the next day.October 9, 2012
DHCL asks a three-day extension to raise Rs.100 crore (US$19 million) as a bank guarantee, one of the conditions set by the Bombay High Court ruling of October 1, to avoid termination from the IPL.October 12, 2012
The Chargers are terminated from the IPL, as their owners fail to produce the bank guarantee. It leaves the BCCI free to invite bidders for a new franchise, with the status of Chargers’ players and staff currently unclear.October 13, 2012
In a countermove, the Chargers approach CK Thakkar, the court-appointed arbitrator, who puts a stay on the termination order passed by the High Court. In turn, the BCCI files for an “urgent” hearing in the High Court, challenging Thakkar’s ruling. The court overrules the arbitrator’s ruling, and the Chargers’ termination stands.October 14, 2012
The BCCI floats a tender, inviting bidders for a new IPL team.October 18, 2012
Bombay High Court overrules the arbitrator’s decision to impose a status quo on their expulsion from the IPL.October 25, 2012
Sun TV Networks Limited, one of India’s biggest television networks headquartered in Chennai, wins the Hyderabad franchise, bidding around $15.9 m for a five-year deal.

Sri Lanka’s marks out of 10, for the Test series against New Zealand

Andrew Fernando30-Nov-20129.5
Rangana Herath (20 wickets at 13.9)
Rangana Herath is doing his best to fill Sri Lanka’s Murali-shaped void, and reaped Murali-like figures in this series to prove it. He bagged three five-wicket hauls in four innings, and made New Zealand look like school cricketers on a helpful track in Galle. At times he seemed like the only Sri Lanka bowler who could get a wicket, and he bore that pressure well. He has moved up to second place on the world Test bowler’s rankings as a result of his returns in the series.9
Angelo Mathews (210 runs at 70)
Angelo Mathews was Sri Lanka’s best batsman of the series by some distance, and perhaps the first series in which he truly made a mark as a Test batsman. Mathews had the advantage of batting low enough down the order to miss the best of New Zealand’s new-ball bowling, but he didn’t allow his side to slip even further against a spirited attack, and his lowest score in three innings was his first-innings 47 in Colombo. In Galle he put on a vital 156-run stand alongside Mahela Jayawardene to lift Sri Lanka from 50 for 5, but his last innings was his best. Batting to save the Test, Mathews soaked up every ounce of pressure New Zealand threw at him, and might have pulled off a famous innings had either Thilan Samaraweera or Prasanna Jayawardene stuck with him for longer on the fifth day.6.5
Nuwan Kulasekara (7 wickets 26)
The second consecutive series in which he has been Sri Lanka’s best seam bowler, which is particularly impressive considering this is only his second series since being recalled to the Test side. Swung the ball well early in the innings, where he took most of his wickets, but at around 125kph, became friendly once the movement had disappeared. Was rarely wayward however, and though he may never become a strike Test bowler, he has proved he can fulfill an important role for his side through his discipline.6
Thilan Samaraweera (100 runs at 33.33)
A 76 in the first innings at the P Sara ensured Sri Lanka avoided an embarrassing follow-on, and he looked set to defy the visitors alongside Mathews in the second innings, until a mix-up caused his demise. It should also be noted that he batted through pain in both innings after having split webbing in between two fingers in the field. He played the swinging ball better than any other batsman in Sri Lanka’s top five, but did not produce the big score his side expect of him.Mahela Jayawardene (100 runs at 33.33)
Made an important 91 in his first innings of the series, which was also the closest a Sri Lanka batsman came to making a hundred, but he failed to contribute at the P Sara. Appears to still have a major weakness outside off stump, particularly to balls that are pitched short of a length. He will be disappointed with his returns in the series, especially as it was at home.5.5
Dimuth Karunaratne (60 runs at 60)
Made a duck in his first innings in international cricket, but recovered well in the second innings to make a belligerent 60. Appears to be particularly strong on the leg side, and he has earned a trip to Australia, where his technique will be given a thorough examination if he gets a game.4.5
Shaminda Eranga (5 wickets at 38.2)
Was good in the Galle Test where there was movement in the air, but poor in Colombo when the ball did not swing. He was erratic in the second Test, often releasing the pressure that Nuwan Kulasekara had mounted at the other end; though he produced a few good balls in each spell, he lacked the consistency to force mistakes from his opponents. He seems to have the ingredients to become a good international bowler, but has much to learn at this level.4
Prasanna Jayawardene (45 runs at 15)
Kept well but could not contribute meaningfully with the bat until the last day, where he resisted alongside Mathews for 35 overs. Fell to the sweep twice in three innings, and was the only Sri Lanka batsman to be dismissed exclusively by spin in the series. His batting had improved over the past 18 months, but he could not spend enough time at the crease against New Zealand to show that.Tharanga Paranavitana (71 at 23.66)
Scratched around for 40 in the first innings in Colombo, before collecting a duck in the second innings, to go with his zero from the first Test. His is the only position in the Sri Lanka batting order that is under major scrutiny, and he was far from making the place his own in this series. Was again tentative against the moving ball, especially outside his off stump.Suraj Randiv (5 wickets at 46, 48 runs)
A poor series with the ball, and though he was perhaps unlucky to not take more wickets in Galle, his two scalps in Colombo were fortuitous. Continues to bowl too many poor balls, allowing batsmen to feel comfortable against him, and he would do well to work on getting more turn as well. Played a decent innings in Sri Lanka’s first innings in Colombo, and his commitment in the field was excellent as usual.2.5
Tillakaratne Dilshan (19 runs at 9.5, 1 wicket at 19)
Missed the first Test through injury, and failed to make any major contributions in the second. He missed a simple, straight delivery from Tim Southee in the first innings, and could not sustain a positive start to his innings in the second.2
Kumar Sangakkara (21 runs at 7)
It’s a rare series in which Sangakkara fails to make a hundred, let alone a fifty, and he will be livid about his performance against New Zealand. He was unlucky to be bowled off his thigh pad in the final innings, but his hook shot in the first innings at the P Sara was a strange stroke to play on zero, while he will feel he should have played the moving ball better in Galle. He has relinquished his No. 1 batting ranking to Michael Clarke, partly due to this lean trot.

Plays of the Day from the third day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle

Andrew Fernando in Galle19-Nov-2012The ominous dismissal
Martin Guptill had missed the limited-overs leg of the tour so he could be well rested for the Tests, but it may not be a match he will want to remember, having made only 24 across both innings. He was the first domino to fall on the third morning, and the vexing nature of his dismissal befitted the chaos that was to follow. Nuwan Kulasekara angled a fullish ball into the stumps, and despite the ball not taking any deviation off the pitch, Martin Guptill played completely down the wrong line to a delivery that crashed into middle and off.The unintentional stumping
Prasanna Jayawardene was once perhaps the best keeper to spin bowling in the world, and though his keeping form has dipped of late, his chest did the work his hands were supposed to do, when he stumped an advancing James Franklin. Rangana Herath had fired the ball in down the leg side, and Jayawardene was unsighted by Franklin’s moving frame until the ball came through between Franklin’s legs, making it difficult for him to collect cleanly. The ball ricocheted up into his chest, and fell onto the stumps in an instant – and Jayawardene was celebrating before Franklin had even returned to the crease.The field placement
Sri Lanka were so keen to have left-hander Daniel Flynn playing against Herath’s turn, they employed a 7-2 leg-side field, with the only slip and mid-off positioned on the off side. For two overs, Flynn played along, collecting runs only into the leg side. But he perished the first time he tried to play the ball into the off side, a gentle push though it was, missing the ball that turned sharply into him and hit the top of off stump.The wander
Tim Southee became the second victim of an unconventional stumping on day three, when was dismissed for 16. He had attempted to whip a full Suraj Randiv delivery through the leg side, but had only managed a toe-edge, but despite not knowing where the ball had dribbled to, decided to stroll out of the crease, as if he had been dispatched in a search party to locate it. The ball had rolled slowly behind him, and Prasanna Jayawardene picked it up off the pitch and whipped off the bails before the batsman was any the wiser.The equipment

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne arrived at the crease wearing fluorescent orange gloves, and given it was his debut, perhaps it was an attempt to get the New Zealand bowlers to go easy on him, the way a beginner driver would with fluorescent ‘L’ plates. After a nervy start, he began striking confident square boundaries, and before too long, he got rid of the learner’s gloves and donned some proper ones.

Stats highlights from day four of the first Test in Johannesburg

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan04-Feb-2013 Dale Steyn’s 11 for 60 is his best match bowling performance in Tests surpassing his previous best of 10 for 91 against New Zealand in Centurion in 2007. Overall, it is the seventh-best match bowling performance by a South African bowler. Since South Africa’s readmission, Steyn’s 11 for 60 is the second-best bowling performance in Tests in Johannesburg behind Matthew Hoggard’s 12 for 205 in 2005. Steyn’s performance is also the fifth-best match display against Pakistan and the second-best outside the subcontinent behind Derek Underwood’s 13 for 71 at Lord’s in 1974. The number of runs conceded by Steyn (60) is the lowest ever (joint 12th overall) by a South African bowler picking up a ten-wicket match haul. It is also the fewest number of runs conceded by a bowler against Pakistan while picking up a ten-wicket haul in the game. Steyn also became the eighth bowler to pick up twin five-fors in a Test against Pakistan and the first since James Anderson at Trent Bridge in 2010. Among South African bowlers, only Steyn and Makhaya Ntini have picked up twin five-wicket hauls on three different occasions. Steyn has now picked up 225 wickets in Test wins. Among bowlers with 200-plus wickets in wins, Steyn has the best strike rate (29.9) followed by Waqar Younis (35.0). Steyn’s average of 15.79 is also the best among bowlers with 200-plus wickets in wins. Among pace bowlers in the group, only Glenn McGrath has more five-wicket hauls in wins (18). Steyn, who has picked up 183 wickets at home, has the best strike rate and the third-best average among bowlers with 175-plus wickets in home Tests. Among South African bowlers, only Ntini and Shaun Pollock have more Test wickets at home. AB de Villiers equalled the record of Jack Russell for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a Test (11 dismissals). Russell had set the record in Johannesburg in 1995. De Villiers also became the only wicketkeeper to score a century and effect ten dismissals in the same game. South Africa improved their head-to-head record against Pakistan to 7-2 in ten Tests at home. Their losses came in Durban (1998) and Port Elizabeth (2006). In three matches in Johannesburg, South Africa have won two and drawn one. Since their readmission, South Africa are 22-8 in the opening Test of home series (two-plus match series). Four of the eight losses have come against Australia. Of the 22 times that Pakistan have been set a target greater than 400, they have drawn five and lost 17. All five of the draws have come in Tests played in the subcontinent. Since 2000, the only two wins for Pakistan in an opening Test outside the subcontinent have come against New Zealand. Pakistan faced 100.4 overs in the fourth innings. This is the ninth time that they have faced 100 or more overs in the final innings. They have won once and lost on four of the nine occasions. It is also the highest (seventh overall) number of overs faced by a subcontinent team in the fourth innings in a Test in South Africa since South Africa’s readmission.

Despite its many controversies, the BPL served as a meaningful event for Bangladesh players because they were exposed to a higher standard of cricket

Mohammad Isam20-Feb-2013The Bangladesh Premier League organisers were relieved when the tournament ended. Four weeks ago such relief was far away, after the PCB refused to release its players for the league. Despite regaining its foothold, and several local talents emerging on the field, the BPL faced problems off it.Ahead of the opening game, the biggest worry was whether the franchises would be able to replace the Pakistani players who were withdrawn because of the fall-out between the Pakistan board and the BCB. The player payments became the chief talking point when the BPL began, and to further complicate matters, there were complaints about sub-standard hotels in Khulna for some franchises. Poor crowd turnout in Khulna and Dhaka was another concern, and that was due to high ticket prices and the ticket-selling venues.Player payments were always going to be under scrutiny after the long delays in the first season. This time, the issues spilled into public domain a few times during the competition. First, Owais Shah complained of delays in fees, and Abdur Razzak said he and his team-mates were playing without payment. Then came a moment when the BPL could have been thrown completely off kilter. Duronto Rajshahi’s overseas players threatened not to play a match after not being paid for two-thirds of the tournament.The first snag was set right a few days after Shah admitted it was his mistake that the money didn’t arrive in his account. It also showed the lack of coordination between the BPL governing council, which represented the BCB, the tournament’s event management firm, and the franchises.The second complaint, by Razzak, was not followed up by the BPL or the media, and nor was it addressed by the Rangpur franchise. However, when the Rajshahi foreigners almost didn’t play against Khulna Royal Bengals, the BCB convinced them with a request not to sully the competition. And all of this was just for the first 25% of the payment.The next deadline has already been extended to February 25, although it was first set for the day of the final. The trouble over payments in the next six months, the period that has been set to complete all player payments, will be the BPL’s biggest challenge.On the field, it was a better story this year. The Bangladeshi cricketers adapted to the demands of a Twenty20 competition and won mental battles. The manner in which some of the uncapped players dealt with fast bowling, albeit on slow wickets, showed how jumping up a level is becoming second nature for the average cricketer. A few scenes stood out: the dismissive hitting of Nazmul Hossain Milon, the six fifties by Shamsur Rahman, but most of all the boldness of Nasir Hossain was the biggest gain of the BPL.Nasir’s mannerisms looked arrogant to some, but it is this sort of confidence that Bangladeshi players are not known for. By switching stances to distract a fast bowler in the middle of a good spell, or rubbing his hands before taking a catch, the young allrounder showed how the heat of the battle or the weight of the big stage made him comfortable and not inhibited.The confidence of Shahriar Nafees and the return to form of Mohammad Ashraful were also signs that Bangladesh cricket needs a tournament where the players face and play with overseas cricketers on a regular basis.That it needed a Twenty20 tournament to bring better competition was perhaps not ideal. Other formats also need the attention reserved for the BPL, particularly one-day cricket, a format where the Bangladesh senior team has had improving results at home.The other point of debate is whether franchises, some of which have been deemed “unprofessional” even by the likes of Khaled Mashud, the former Bangladesh captain, deserve such attention. The question is whether the BCB can resurrect a tournament that has so many flaws in its make-up.The BCB has a lot more to do in this regard. Educating the franchises on how to manage a team should be high on the to-do list, but it will all depend on how fast the pay issues can be resolved. Otherwise, the same problems will surface the next time the BPL is held.