Confusion reigns over whether Lasith Malinga will play in the Bangladesh Premier League 2013

Mohammad Isam20-Dec-2012Confusion reigns over whether Lasith Malinga will play in the Bangladesh Premier League 2013.On Thursday evening, after the auction, the Dhaka Gladiators franchise that had bid for Malinga said they were not aware of his unavailability. But the Sri Lanka fast bowler’s agent told ESPNcricinfo earlier in the day that Malinga hadn’t “entered the auction, a standpoint that was later repeated.*The BPL governing council, on Wednesday night, sent out a text message with the names of several players who had withdrawn from and been included in the auction. Malinga was listed as one of those included, before his agent claimed he wouldn’t be entering.After the auction, Malinga’s agent released this statement: “Lasith Malinga did not express an interest in playing in the BPL at any stage whatsoever so we are totally perplexed at how he ended up in the auction.”There has been no telephone discussions or emails about his involvement and certainly no signing of a pre-auction agreement. The first we became aware of him being entered into the auction was when reading a Cricinfo story on Thursday morning and we confirmed he was not available to the recruitment agents via e-mail before the auction.”Lasith wants to rest in February and early March to build up fitness ahead of a big season of limited overs cricket in 2013.”Dhaka bid $115,000 for him after he was placed in the golden category of the foreign players. “We are not aware of any news of [Lasith] Malinga being unavailable,” Dhaka’s spokesman, Minhaz Uddin Khan, said.*22.20GMT, December 20: This story was update with comments from Malinga’s agent.

Chris Gayle has made just 54 runs in the three ODIs so far but that could be bad news for Bangladesh, with the West Indies camp confident that he is just one big innings away from returning to form

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur06-Dec-2012West Indies began reviving their ODI series against Bangladesh with a four-wicket win on Wednesday but they will be aware that, yet again, their main batsman went missing. Chris Gayle has made just 54 runs in the three ODIs so far but that could be bad news for Bangladesh, with the West Indies camp confident that he is just one big innings away from returning to form.”I think at some point in the next few days Gayle will get a big score, I’m sure he will,” West Indies’ assistant coach Toby Radford said. “Chris Gayle has played all around the world, he is a fantastic player. He’ll know his own strengths and weaknesses.”To have their most experienced cricketer go through a lean patch with the bat has been disconcerting for the team. West Indies have so far let Gayle be himself, the opener not practicing on optional training days on tour, but they would require him to score big in the next two days for them to have a better chance of winning the series.For all the optimism in the West Indies camp, the 14 scratchy minutes he spent at the crease on Wednesday evening suggested that it could be a hard road back. The usually domineering Gayle had to play out a maiden in the first over of the game, bowled by Sohag Gazi, the rookie offspinner who has dismissed him three times. He was also tested by Mashrafe Mortaza and, after hitting him for a boundary, was done in by a slower ball. He had, at that time, made only 4 off 12 deliveries faced.The slump in form has also brought down Gayle’s average for the year, from 54.60 in six games before the series began to 40.87 after three games here. He had made 35 and 15 in the first two ODIs in Khulna and looked uncertain against spin. The bowlers have bowled to a plan, tying him down and preventing him from getting into any rhythm. Gayle prefers hitting boundaries to find his touch and, to counter that, Gazi has usually deployed a defensive field, especially ensuring the straight boundaries are always covered.More worrying for West Indies is the fact that Kieron Pollard is also struggling against spin, getting out twice to Abdur Razzak and once to Naeem Islam. Pollard has been out bowled twice, completely misjudging a Razzak arm-ball in the third game. The struggle has restricted his big-hitting abilities, an area he has worked on over the years and has continued doing so in Mirpur – despite the danger posed to those milling around the Academy ground on Thursday morning.”It is a practice we follow all around the world,” Radford said. “Whenever we play one-day cricket we try to get into the middle of the pitch just to get boundary range, practice six-hitting, fours and just knocking the ball down the ground.”For someone who hasn’t spent a huge amount of time in the middle in the last couple of weeks, it’s good to get in the middle. It is one thing practicing in the nets and another when you’ve got a bit of space around you and you can picture the field.”Towards the latter part of the third ODI it seemed even Marlon Samuels’ best efforts might not be enough, until he launched into Rubel Hossain in the 45th over. Gayle’s impact hasn’t yet been felt by Bangladesh and West Indies are waiting for him to impose himself on the series. It would help his team if he batted at just walking pace too – but even for that he would need to make adjustments to his game and gameplan.

Half-centuries from Mathew Sinclair and Ben Smith gave Central Districts their second win of the HRV Cup, a seven-wicket victory against Auckland

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2013
ScorecardHalf-centuries from Mathew Sinclair and Ben Smith gave Central Districts their second win of the HRV Cup, a seven-wicket victory against Auckland, who now have to win both their remaining games and hope other results go their way in order to make the playoff. Central Districts are bottom of the league and have no chance of progress. Auckland, however, are fourth and need to win two games and also hope Northern Districts lose both of their remaining games.Central Districts’ victory was built on a 106-run stand for the third wicket between Sinclair and Smith. Chasing 182, Sinclair made 71 off 52 balls and Smith 59 off 31 deliveries. Sinclair fell with the scores level and Central Districts won with three balls to spare. Smith’s innings was his best of the tournament.Auckland had set a competitive total at Pukekura Park after a wobbly start – they were 59 for 4 in nine overs after winning the toss. Colin de Grandhomme led their fightback, scoring a half-century off 20 balls before he was dismissed for 55 off 24. Craig Cachopa made 49 off 33 deliveries to lead his team to 181. Bevan Small and Andrew Lamb took two wickets each for Central Districts.

Western Australia’s recovery after a wretched first innings against Queensland was sustained on day two of the Sheffield Shield match in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2013
ScorecardWestern Australia’s recovery after a wretched first innings against Queensland was sustained on day two of the Sheffield Shield match in Brisbane, resulting in a 183-run lead with five wickets remaining.Ending the Bulls’ first innings swiftly on the second morning, Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges then combined for a reprise of their stand in the domestic limited overs match that preceded this one, guiding WA to a position from which victory is a distinct possibility, albeit on an easing surface.The Warriors faced a grim scenario when play resumed, the Bulls leading by 33 with James Hopes and Chris Hartley at the crease. However the visitors rounded up the remainder of Queensland’s innings for the addition of a mere 24 runs, Michael Hogan and Nathan Coulter-Nile sharing the spoils.Batting a second time WA lost early wickets, and Michael Hussey’s departure for his second low score in as many days left them three wickets down and only five runs in credit. However Marsh and Voges played sturdily to add 162, before Alister McDermott and Hopes struck late in the day.

Brendon McCullum has heaped the ultimate praise on his opposite number Alastair Cook, calling him the best since Bradman

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington13-Mar-2013Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, has heaped the ultimate praise on his opposite number Alastair Cook saying, on current form, he is as good as anyone who has played after Donald Bradman. Cook, who scored his 24th Test hundred in Dunedin, laughed off the shock comparison.The century at University Oval was Cook’s fourth hundred in five overseas Tests during the 2012-13 season, following a monumental series against India. But while his feats have rightly been acknowledged as putting him on the path to being labelled a great, it is rare to be uttered in the same sentence as Bradman who ended his career with the immortal average of 99.94. The next best on the list is Graeme Pollock (60.97), then George Headley (60.83). The highest average for a current player is Kumar Sangakkara’s at 56.54.McCullum, though, did not hold back his praise after being asked a question about how New Zealand planned to quell Cook’s run-scoring feats. “He’s obviously a genius batsman, his record is testament to that,” McCullum said. “Where he is at in his career at the moment, he’s as good as anyone who has played the game, probably barring Bradman.”Cook’s response, after being taken aback by the comparison, was: “It’s very nice of him to say that. I’m not quite sure where he’s got that from.” There was also plenty of mutual respect as Cook acknowledged McCullum’s recent form. The New Zealand captain has scored five half-centuries in seven innings across all formats against England, including 74 off 59 balls in Dunedin. “You could talk about his genius batting. The way he hits the ball sometimes,” Cook said.Cook’s current Test average of 49.60 places him 40th on the averages list, currently sat between Inzamam-ul-Haq and Denis Compton. Current contemporaries above him include AB de Villiers, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Younis Khan, Michael Clarke, Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar. Purely as a comparison, if you take the point from after last year’s World Twenty20 when Test cricket resumed, Cook’s average of 76.44 places him third, behind Cheteshwar Pujara and Clarke among batsmen who have played at least five innings.Cook, though, remains modest about his achievements. “You never quite feel on top of the game,” he said. “What was pleasing for me was, after a few starts in the one-dayers here and in India, but [with] no match-winning score, I managed to get that bigger one in the first Test. I seemed to hit the ball okay.” A modest oulook from a man compared to the immortal Bradman.

Craig Kieswetter has had a fine match, taking everything that came his way behind the stumps and playing an instrumental role with the bat to put Somerset in a position from which they are well placed to win

Les Smith at Chester-le-Street12-Apr-2013
ScorecardCraig Kieswetter steadied Somerset before the rain returned•Getty Images

Craig Kieswetter has had a fine match, taking everything that came his way behind the stumps and playing an instrumental role with the bat to put Somerset in a position from which they are well placed to win.A wicketkeeper is only as good as his bowlers but Somerset’s impressive attack offered Kieswetter eight chances in the match and he snaffled the lot. His batting could also been crucial in a low-scoring match. In Somerset’s first innings, promoted up the order to No. 3 in the absence of Nick Compton and Alviro Petersen, he came in with 12 on the board and steadied the ship for the best part of 20 overs. When he walked to the crease for the second time, his side was in a healthier position but still had a lot to do in pursuit of the 235 set by Durham. By the time bad light brought the day’s play to an end he had 39 to his name. His approach was exactly what Somerset needed, watchful in conditions which still favoured the bowlers, but severe on anything loose, scoring five boundaries.Only 35 overs were bowled in the day and play didn’t get going until 1.40pm. After a gloomy morning, the improvement in the light was barely discernible but nobody, apart perhaps from the fielders on another bitter day, was complaining. Three hours later the light worsened and that was it again.It took Somerset half an hour and eight overs to take the last two Durham wickets. First to go was Phil Mustard who had batted splendidly on the previous evening, but was furious with himself when he was run out attempting a second. The fielding and throw by Jamie Overton were excellent but it was a waste. Overton, who turned 19 two days ago, was Marcus Trescothick’s choice to do the bowling from the River End, and he showed a youthful eagerness to pitch the ball short, especially when he was bowling to Graham Onions. That may not seem such a good idea if Overton finds himself facing Onions on Saturday.Last man Chris Rushworth put bat to ball and had the third highest score of the innings, but he nicked to Kieswetter to give Alfonso Thomas his fourth wicket of the innings.The importance of Marcus Trescothick’s batting to Somerset was clearly demonstrated by the jubilation with which the Durham players reacted to his dismissal for 6 in the first innings. When he went in for the second time he looked much more secure, defending solidly and driving beautifully straight and through the covers. It was a surprise, therefore, that when Ben Stokes replaced Onions he bowled him with his fifth ball. Earlier Onions had trapped Arul Suppiah on his crease with a delivery that nipped in and stayed a little low.Suppiah’s dismissal brought in Kieswetter and, if he can carry on tomorrow as he started this afternoon, Somerset may have the edge.

Bangladesh scampered to a series-levelling win against Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI, in Pallekele, winning by three wickets in a rain-hit encounter

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Pallekele28-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTillakaratne Dilshan scored his fourth century in Pallekele, but it went in vain•Associated Press

Bangladesh scampered to a series-levelling win against Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI, in Pallekele, winning by three wickets in a rain-hit encounter. They were helped along by Nasir Hossain’s composed 33 off 27 balls late in the chase, the visitors showing nerves as they neared the victory – their first in 15 completed games against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.Overall it was a fine occasion for the visitors, who had left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak becoming the first Bangladesh bowler to aggregate 200 ODI wickets, as he picked up a five-wicket haul that helped drag them back into the game after Sri Lanka’s openers had built a fine platform. The hosts didn’t build appropriately on that excellent start, ending up at 302 for 9 in their 50 overs when they looked on course for much more.Bangladesh began their innings in an equally good manner, with Mohammad Ashraful and Anamul Haque adding 77 runs for the first wicket. But rain delayed the chase for more than two hours, with the score at 78 for 1 in 13.4 overs. As play restarted at 10.20pm local time, as per Duckworth-Lewis calculations, the visitors needed to score another 105 runs to win in the next 13.2 overs, and they did.But things could have been different had Bangladesh wilted after Lasith Malinga’s final over. The two wickets he claimed in that over all but sealed the series for the home side but Nasir charged at Thisara Perera in the next, the penultimate over. He took 14 out of the 18 runs required in that over, playing an easy square-cut and two proper slogs over midwicket to snatch back the momentum. With two runs to win off seven balls, Sohag Gazi top-edged one over wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, before turning and giving his batting partner a hug.Promoted up to No. 5, Nasir witnessed madness at the other end as the batsmen gave a chance to the calm Sri Lankan fielders and bowlers almost every over. But he minded his own end, ensuring he was there when the business end of the game came about.The madness began when Jahurul tried to slog or take off for a suicidal single every other ball, and it contributed to his dismissal. He was batting well when not charging at the bowlers, but he thought it was a situation that called for a change from first to fifth gear. The same can be said about captain Mushfiqur Rahim, who was run out after Nasir had pushed the ball towards the bowler Perera. His deputy Mahmudullah was stringing together an important partnership with Nasir when he decided to play a reverse-sweep off Sachithra Senanayake when the team needed just 39 off 33 balls.But the home side waited far too long to bring on the offspinner Senanayake after the rain break, and that probably cost them. Senanayake’s angle from around the wicket gave the Bangladesh batsmen too much to think about, and there were several moments when wickets were just inches away. He took 2 for 26 from his six overs. Jeevan Mendis hasn’t bowled an over in the series and given the visitors’ weakness against legspinners, Mathews missed a trick there too.It was a completely different game than the one played earlier in the afternoon under brilliant sunshine. Sri Lanka posted a formidable target with Tillakaratne Dilshan scoring his 16th ODI hundred, and second of the series. Along with Kusal Perera, he added 116 for the first wicket but the Bangladesh spinners gained some footing and it ultimately held Sri Lanka back in the final ten overs too.Perera scored his first ODI fifty in the typical manner that everyone has been awed by so far in his short career. He went after the bowling from the third over when he hit a straight six, and then continued to pelt the pace bowlers who went for plenty in the first seven overs.Dilshan went after the bowling in the two Powerplays but remained the anchor through most of the innings. However, he found little support at the other end.The middle-order shuffle didn’t help the hosts as none of Thisara Perera, Mathews or Mendis could contribute as they were expected to. It was left to Lahiru Thirimanne, who was pushed down the order, to bang out two sixes in his quickfire 25, which took them past the 300-run mark.Razzak’s five wickets apart, Mahmudullah and Sohag Gazi tightened things up whenever they were asked to bowl. Mahmudullah made up for his poor run of form with the bat, bowling his ten overs for 50 runs while Gazi was once again accurate during most parts of his spell. And in the end, it all added up to victory for Bangladesh.

The match had almost all the ingredients of an absorbing Twenty20 match

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran27-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShane Watson gathered pace towards the end to finish unbeaten on 98•BCCI

The match had almost all the ingredients of an absorbing Twenty20 contest. Sunrisers Hyderabad lost their top order in a cycle-stand collapse, before Darren Sammy led a lower-order revival to push the score to 144. On a pitch assisting the seamers, Rajasthan Royals had to deal with a testing opening period of swing and seam, which the experienced duo of Rahul Dravid and Shane Watson negotiated. Watson, coming off a century in Chennai, paced his innings and powered Royals home with a blistering unbeaten 98.Watson wasn’t the only Australian making waves at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. James Faulkner demolished the Sunrisers’ top order during a five-wicket haul, the first of IPL 2013. Faulkner and the innocuous Ajit Chandila reduced Sunrisers to 29 for 6, raising expectations of early finish. The top six registered scores of 2,0,4,4,6,4 – leaving much responsibility on Sammy.Kumar Sangakkara had dropped himself for three games owing to his indifferent form, but his return made no difference as he joined the early procession of wickets. After Akshath Reddy fell off a leading edge against Chandila, Sangakkara chased a wide delivery from Faulkner and edged to second slip for 4.Though the pitch gave a lot of assistance to the seamers in terms of movement and bounce, the shot selection by the Sunrisers was poor. Shikhar Dhawan slashed straight to backward point and Karan Sharma, walking in unexpectedly at No.5 – just as Amit Mishra did in Chennai – succumbed to the pressure of needing quick runs by top edging Faulkner to fine leg. Thisara Perera perished to a one-handed slog down to long-on before Hanuma Vihari gloved Kevon Cooper down the leg side. It was the first time Royals had managed so many wickets in the Powerplay.Sammy and Amit Mishra scripted Sunrisers’ recovery with a stand of 58. Sammy made room against the seamers to clear cover and shoveled the ball over midwicket to give the innings some impetus. He hit the first six of the innings in the 13th, a pull off Siddharth Trivedi over deep midwicket. He celebrated his fifty – his first in T20s – in unique style, pulling out a baby pacifier tied around his neck sucking at it, for his baby daughter.The seventh, eighth and ninth wickets added 115, giving the Sunrisers bowlers a fighting total to try and defend.Watson and Dravid, however, used their experience to counter the swing and prevent the loss of early wickets. Several deliveries came back into the right-hander, but Watson ensured he played the ball late, dabbing it down to third man and behind point. He did offer some chances, though. On 16, an outside edge off Perera just beat a diving Sangakkara, and another just dropped short of Sammy at slip.Royals had progressed to 53 for 1 after ten overs, with the asking rate passing nine. The partnership gathered pace in the second half of the innings, Dravid launching Royals’ march with a six over long-on. A costly Ishant Sharma over, which leaked 20, included three fours and a six by Watson. The next, off Perera, went for 15 and hastened Royals’ march to the target. Three powerful blows to deep midwicket, by Watson off Karan Sharma, sealed a clinical win.

The lawyer of arrested cricketer Sreesanth has insisted his client is ‘totally innocent’ and that he will seek bail during the next hearing

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2013The lawyer of arrested cricketer Sreesanth has insisted his client is ‘totally innocent’ and that he will seek bail during the next hearing. On Thursday, a judge had remanded Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals players to five days in police custody after they had been arrested by Delhi police on corruption charges.”I asked them what is the evidence you have against him, they failed to give any kind of paper against Sreesanth in the court,” Sreesanth’s lawyer Deepak Prakash said. “Please support Sreesanth, the person is innocent, we are doing a crime right now giving the wrong news about him. I clarified from him, he is never involved in this, he is totally innocent.”He never talked to any bookie,” Prakash said. “No money is received, no telephone call, nothing is established, he is innocent.”Police alleged Sreesanth had promised bookies that he would concede at least 14 runs in his second over against Kings XI Punjab on May 9 in exchange for Rs 40 lakh (US$73,024). The police alleged that Sreesanth made the appropriate signal, which was to ask for a towel that he would tuck inside his trousers before bowling the over. Prakash dismissed the charges. “A person can use a towel in any way, how is this evidence?” he asked. “It is a matter of luck. He can use a towel whenever he wants.”Sreesanth can only apply for bail after his time in police custody, which means he will have to wait at least four more days. The Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar had also suggested that the police could invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, offences under which are non-bailable.

The second season of the Sri Lanka Premier League is expected to begin with the player draft on July 14 in Colombo

Sa'adi Thawfeeq07-Jul-2013The player draft of the second Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) season is scheduled for July 14 in Colombo and is expected to contain several international players, including a strong South African contingent, according to the league’s chief executive officer, Ajith Jayasekara. The league is scheduled between August 10 and September 7.”We have the entire South African squad with the exception of Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis lined up to take part,” Jayasekara said. “Pakistan has also shown their intention to send their present lot of cricketers but the participation of most of their key players depends on whether their tour to Zimbabwe takes place.”South Africa are due to tour Sri Lanka from July 20 to August 6 for five ODIs and three T20s and there is a possibility that members of the visiting team will stay back to participate in the league.”With the exception of England and India, players from all the other Test-playing nations have shown interest in participating in the league,” Jayasekara said. “Even a top performer like Chris Gayle has expressed his intention to take part once the Caribbean Premier League ends on August 24.”Other West Indian players like fast bowlers Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor, as well as Australians such as Doug Bollinger, Brad Hodge and Shaun Tait are among those who are expected to participate. The list also includes Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain. Jayasekara also said the franchises would reveal the list of players they are releasing by July 8.The draft rules allow a franchise to pick a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 25 players. If they stick to 19 players, the franchises have to pick seven international cricketers, nine domestic cricketers and three under-21 cricketers. If the squad comprises 25 members, the numbers change to 10, 11 and four respectively.Last season, 56 international players, mostly from Australia and Pakistan, and 90 local players were drafted in the league.Jayasekara brushed aside reports of problems with player payments in the first season. “We are perhaps the only league in the world to pay the players fees on time. Even the IPL has faltered on its payments. Some of the players who represented Kochi Tuskers Kerala have yet to receive their money and most of the players who took part in the Bangladesh Premier League have not been paid.”Like last season, officials of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit will monitor all matches of the second season of the SLPL. SLC is also looking to increase the number of venues this season and matches are scheduled in Hambantota, Galle, Dambulla and Kurunegala, apart from the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and Pallekele stadium in Kandy. Jayasekera said the SLC was also exploring the possibility of hosting matches at Moratuwa and Matara.”We want to take the matches to the provinces that are being represented in the tournament,” Jayasekera said. “Some of the matches will be day games because the venues do not have facilities for night matches.”The SLPL was set up by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to generate steady revenue to improve their wavering financial position after the 2011 World Cup. SLC signed a 15-year agreement with a Singapore-based company, Somerset Entertainment Ventures, to host the SLPL under an equal profit sharing arrangement.Jayasekera indicated that in the inaugural year, SLC earned as much as SLR 285 million, a figure which they approximately expect to receive each year over the next 14 years.The number of teams participating in the league this year is the same as last season: Uva Next (defending champions), Nagenahira Nagas (runner-up), Kandurata Warriors and Wayamba United (losing semi-finalists), Ruhuna Royals, Uthura Rudras and Basnahira Cricket Dundee.