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Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s chief selector, and the PCB have reached a resolution over their differences, and the former has decided not to resign from his post

ESPNcricinfo staff05-May-2011Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s chief selector, and the PCB have reached a resolution over their differences, and the former has decided not to resign from his post. Mohsin met with board chairman Ijaz Butt in Lahore on Thursday and said “now there’s no issue at all.”Mohsin had earlier said he would step down on Wednesday if some of his player choices were not included in the 15-member Test squad for the series against the West Indies, which starts in Guyana on May 12.But after the board contacted him, he cancelled a press conference where he was expected to speak on the subject. In a statement on Wednesday the board first said that any such conference would be a violation of the code of conduct governing selectors, and then issued a statement that said Mohsin had been summoned to a meeting with the chairman on Thursday.Neither Mohsin nor Butt took any questions after the meeting, with the chairman reading from a written statement saying that the matter had been resolved.”Mohsin and I had a fruitful meeting today and we discussed a number of matters. We also discussed some of the issues that are appearing in the media for last couple of days. Without going into the details of the matters discussed, I am pleased to inform that there are currently no unresolved issues between PCB and Mohsin Hasan Khan.”No details were given of who the disputed players were, though ESPNcricinfo understands Adnan Akmal’s exclusion was one issue. Though it is thought Mohsin had issues with another selector, some local reports suggested it may have been with Butt, the final authority on selections, or even the on-tour selection committee.The statement hinted that the problems may have been over the full ambit of the selection committee. “We have today discussed the importance of bringing in clarity in the role and functions of the national selection committee and I have advised Mohsin that the selection committee has independence of taking selection decisions.”To clarify our stance on some speculations that have appeared in a section of media, after having Mohsin’s point of view, PCB has decided that no further action in this matter is required.”

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has said that there were “solid reasons” for the removal of Shahid Afridi as ODI captain but that he will reveal those reasons at a later date

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2011Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has said that there were “solid reasons” for the removal of Shahid Afridi as ODI captain but that he will reveal those reasons at a later date.Afridi was replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq last week, after leading Pakistan in back-to-back ODI series against New Zealand and West Indies, and to a last-four finish in the World Cup. The board has not given an official reason for the removal, though it is believed to be the result of growing differences Afridi had with coach Waqar Younis, in particular over matters of selection.On his return from the Caribbean, Afridi referred to the situation with Waqar, saying, “Although the differences in team management are not such which could not be solved, I feel everyone should do his job and need not interfere in other’s work”. That led to the board issuing him a showcause notice to explain his remarks, and presumably formed part of the reasons for his removal. Subsequently Afridi decided to pull out of the two ODIs against Ireland; speculation has been that he is unhappy over his removal but he has said it is because his father is unwell.Removing Afridi meant that Butt has now presided over nine changes in the Test and ODI captaincy during his tenure as chairman, a period of less than three years. But Butt insisted in an interview with the leading Urdu daily Jang that he was justified in making the change.”We had very solid reasons to remove Afridi and I will reveal them when the time is right,” Butt said. “We haven’t taken this action without any reasons.”Butt did indicate that there had been a breach of discipline on Afridi’s part, though it is not yet clear whether he was referring to the comments Afridi made on his return, or to separate incidents on tour. Tensions between Waqar and Afridi are reported to have risen considerably in some team selection meetings, with Intikhab Alam, the team manager, having to play peace broker.The on-tour management’s report has been handed in to the board, according to Butt, and details will emerge after the team returns from Ireland, when the board will also deal with the issue of Afridi’s showcause notice. “We know Afridi won two series and that is why we didn’t act then [during the tour]. We couldn’t do anything more during that tour. Right now anything more I say will cause more tensions. Everything will come to light soon.”Meanwhile, Waqar refused to speculate on Afridi’s future role within the side. “I have got no idea about that,” Waqar said. “It is the board’s decision what they want to do about the captaincy. My job is to look after the team and to deliver the goods.”Waqar also denied reports he had fallen out with Afridi. “It was the papers that made all this,” he said. “There is nothing in it.”

Andy Roberts says Munaf spins the ball, Javagal Srinath says there’s no problem so long as he’s effective

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2011Comments from Andy Roberts’ that Munaf Patel had lost his pace and was “spinning the ball” have sparked a debate, with Javagal Srinath, among others, saying that Munaf was “doing the job” that was required of him.”The question of pace doesn’t matter as long he is being effective,” Srinath told the . “Also, there is this aspect of conserving energy. I think Munaf has done extremely well of late.”Roberts, the former West Indies fast bowler had expressed surprise at the tendency of young Indian fast bowlers to cut down on their pace as they play more international cricket.His comments were made in reference to Munaf Patel, who is India’s second highest wicket-taker in the current ODI series against West Indies, and Ishant Sharma, who played for the first time in the series in the fourth game.”When he [Munaf] came to the West Indies in 2006, he was quick,” Roberts said. “But now, he is spinning the ball. Ishant Sharma with his height and action was very promising when he began, but now he seems to have lost steam.Srinath indicated that fast bowling has become a matter of “adaptability” these days. “There are various formats, pitches and conditions. In Twenty 20, it’s a question of containment. What’s the point in going flat out on placid pitches?”By cutting down on pace as and when required, bowlers have become smarter these days. Still, you can’t overlook the fact that Munaf has been taking wickets despite reducing pace,” he said.Munaf, who has played 65 ODIs for India, has picked up 30 wickets in 16 games this year at an average of just above 23, which is well below his career average of 28.86, and has picked up eight wickets from three games in this series.India’s bowling coach Eric Simons, described Munaf as the “unsung” hero of India’s World Cup victory, saying the high degree of technical skills that India’s bowling attack possessed made up for its lack of express pace all through the tournament. Munaf was India’s third-highest wicket-taker in the World Cup behind Zaheer and Yuvraj Singh with 11 victims.Former India allrounder Irfan Pathan also suffered from a drop in pace after his international debut and Roberts, who worked briefly with Pathan during Greg Chappell’s tenure as India coach, felt such issues cropped up only after the players made their international debuts. “One has to remember this happens only once they make it to international arena. Maybe the players are better off without these coaches.”These coaches turn you into line-and-length bowler. Not what you naturally are. These boys then lose their ability.”Roger Binny, the former India allrounder, said cutting down on pace had “worked” for Munaf. “His line and length has improved and he has bowled some crucial spells for India. What would you prefer, a wayward fast bowler or a slower one who gets you wickets.”

The impasse in West Indies cricket continued with the WICB claiming that Chris Gayle has been “antagonistic and unrepentant” in the negotiations aimed at resolving their dispute

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2011The impasse in West Indies cricket continued with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) claiming that Chris Gayle has been “antagonistic and unrepentant” in the negotiations aimed at resolving their dispute, but kept the offer of a meeting open, to reach a compromise. The board was reacting to a long and emotional public statement from Gayle, who had said all attempts at reconciliation from the WICB were a “sham and a mockery”.”The WICB reiterates its stated position, that there is a history of difficulty in communicating with and relating to Mr Gayle and wishes to bring this matter to a resolution; but from his latest statement and his expressed views in the meetings with the WICB it would appear as though he is of the unshakeable view that he has conducted himself impeccably,” the board stated in a release. “The WICB insists that his conduct cannot simply be swept under the carpet as is the apparent desire of Mr Gayle.”The board said that Gayle would be made available for selection for the West Indies team, but not if he remained inflexible. “As previously communicated to Mr Gayle, the WICB wishes to ensure that Mr Gayle’s services remain available to West Indies cricket, but not at any cost and not on his inflexible take-it-or-leave-it terms.”There must be mutual respect and a commitment to put West Indies cricket first. The WICB has written to Gayle making it clear that it is willing to seek a compromise resolution. Gayle’s position is that he has nothing to account for and expects to be automatically reinstated to the West Indies team whenever he decides that he is available.”Even though at a follow up meeting between Mr Gayle and the team management, the head coach indicated what was required to assist in his return to the West Indies team, Gayle has refused and has demonstrated no inclination to compromise; instead he has been antagonistic and unrepentant in the entire process.”The board expressed its willingness to meet with Gayle and address the outstanding issues.Gayle wasn’t picked for the ongoing series against India owing to differences with the board, including issues over a widely-publicised radio interview with , in which he strongly criticised the WICB. The disputing parties met on June 15, but the rift only appeared to widen.

Andrew Strauss has said he would be “absolutely” willing to undergo a lie-detector test if it was decided that they were the way forward in combating corruption in the sport

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's20-Jul-2011Andrew Strauss has said he would be “absolutely” willing to undergo a lie-detector test, if it was decided that they were the way forward in combating corruption in the sport, after Steve Waugh underwent the process and called for figurehead players to lead the way.Waugh would ideally like international captains to take the lead in rooting out match-fixing even though he knows polygraphs could never be made compulsory. While his proposals received support from Strauss his opposite number, MS Dhoni, was less forthcoming with a straight “no comment” and suggested that he hadn’t heard of the idea when asked whether he would take a test.Strauss added that a lot of work would need to be done to prove if lie-detectors worked – and there are many differing opinions over the accuracy of testing – but was in favour of anything that could tackle corruption. “My response is that I’m in favour of anything that helps us get to the bottom of any wrong-doing in the game,” he said. “It’s vitally important for cricket going forward that it’s as clean as possible and can demonstrate it’s as clean as possible.”The devil is always in the detail with this sort of thing. I don’t know exactly how lie detectors work and how accurate they are, but I like the idea of it. I like the idea of us getting down to the nitty-gritty and finding out if any wrong-doing has been going on and therefore making the sport cleaner as a result.”During the test that Waugh undertook in Australia he read a prepared declaration stating that he had never been involved in fixing a cricket match, or any element of a match, and it may be a template that could be followed in the future.”I, Steve Roger Waugh, do hereby declare that during my cricketing career except for manipulating matches for purely strategic or tactical reasons I never deliberately under-performed or fixed a cricket match or a passage of play within a match or did anything other than try my hardest for any cricket team I played for.”I never received any form of payment, either in money or as a gratuity or benefit in return for under-performing in any cricket match I have played in.”Waugh said that it was his frustration at endless questions about corruption that prompted the idea of polygraphs. “There are a lot of rumours out there about match-fixing and spot-fixing. I became sick and tired about being asked if games I played in were above board.”

Middlesex strengthened their bid for promotion from Division Two in the County Championship by completing a ten-wicket victory over against Leicestershire 40 minutes before lunch on the final day at Lord’s

02-Sep-2011
ScorecardMiddlesex strengthened their bid for promotion from Division Two in the County Championship by completing a ten-wicket victory over against Leicestershire 40 minutes before lunch on the final day at Lord’s.Middlesex now take over at the top of Division Two, where they will remain after the current round of matches have been completed unless Northamptonshire recover to beat Surrey. Leicestershire, meanwhile, stay rooted to the bottom and now look odds-on to claim the wooden spoon.Toby Roland-Jones picked up two of Leicestershire’s three remaining wickets to finish with figures of 4 for 64, leaving Chris Rogers and Andrew Strauss to knock off the 36 runs required for victory in less than six overs. With Leicestershire resuming on 308 for 7, Rob Taylor and Jigar Naik added a further seven, taking their eighth wicket partnership to 48, before Naik, playing a loose drive, was caught at gully off Tim Murtagh.Having earlier pulled Corey Collymore for four, Taylor picked Murtagh up over mid-wicket for six. But in the ninth over of the day Nathan Buck, driving, was caught behind off the toe-end of his bat. Roland-Jones also accounted for Taylor, who was bowled off a thick inside edge within touching distance of his second championship half-century in as many matches. Taylor’s entertaining innings of 49 from 75 balls had included six fours and two sixes.Middlesex’s seventh win of the season saw them claim the maximum 24 points, while, for the first time this season, Leicestershire went away from the contest with no points.

Chris Gayle, the former West Indies captain, has been named in the Jamaica squad for the Regional Super50 competition in the Caribbean

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2011Chris Gayle, the former West Indies captain, has been named in the Jamaica squad for the Regional Super50 competition in the Caribbean.Gayle and the WICB have been at loggerheads for a good part of this year. He hasn’t played for West Indies since the end of the 2011 World Cup. He participated in the IPL that followed the World Cup, after being left out of a training camp ahead of the home series against Pakistan. In a hard-hitting interview with KLAS Sports, he had questioned his treatment by members of the board, including chief executive Ernest Hilaire, and the coach Ottis Gibson, after he had picked up an injury during the World Cup.He was subsequently involved in negotiations with the board but the dispute is yet to be resolved. As a result, he was also left out of the West Indies squad for the tour of Bangladesh.It is still unclear as to whether Gayle will lead the Jamaica side. The appointment of a captain, reportedly, needs to be ratified by the WICB. Jamaica will not have the services of batsman Marlon Samuels and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh, who will be away on national duty.”This is a balanced team when you look at it. We took into consideration the venue in Guyana and the state of the pitches,” Junior Bennett, the Jamaica coach, was quoted as saying in the .Allrounder Andre Russell and Danza Hyatt are expected to join the Jamaica squad after finishing the limited-overs leg of the Bangladesh tour.The tournament will begin in Guyana on October 19.Jamaica squad: Chris Gayle, Shawn Findlay, Tamar Lambert, Chadwick Walton, Nikita Miller, Yannick Elliott, Odean Brown, Andrew Richardson, Jerome Taylor, Krishmar Santokie, Xavier Marshall, Simon Jackson, Jermaine Blackwood, Kenar Lewis.

Pakistan were able to hold off a determined Zimbabwe and complete a 3-0 sweep of the one-day series

The Report by Firdose Moonda14-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Younis Khan laid the platform for Pakistan’s win with a composed 81•AFPSmart stats

This is Pakistan’s fifth series whitewash against Zimbabwe and their 16th overall in ODIs (bi-lateral series of three or more matches). Their previous clean sweep in Zimbabwe came in 2002-03.

Younis Khan’s 81 is his 50th fifty-plus score in ODIs. He is sixth on the list of Pakistan batsmen with the most fifty-plus scores in ODIs.

The 97-run stand between Asad Shafiq and Younis is the third-highest third-wicket stand for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in ODIs in Zimbabwe.

Aizaz Cheema’s 4 for 43 is now his best bowling performance in ODIs, eclipsing his haul of 3 for 36 in the previous match. His haul of eight wickets is joint-second on the list of most wickets taken by Pakistan bowlers in a three-match away series.

The 110-run stand between Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha is the second-highest opening partnership for Zimbabwe against Pakistan in ODIs.

A middle-order slump from Zimbabwe and a committed effort from Pakistan in the field saw them complete their whitewash of the hosts in the ODI series with a testing but ultimately comfortable victory in the third and final game. On a batsmen-friendly pitch, Pakistan finished with a par score that still proved too much for Zimbabwe, who gave themselves a chance to win the game with a big opening partnership, but could not finish the job.Pakistan were aggressive at crucial times with both bat and ball and showed the value of experience against a Zimbabwe line-up that is still finding its feet at the highest level. Younis Khan’s beautifully crafted 81 and Aizaz Cheema’s four wickets headlined their performance but Zimbabwe can take heart from the fight they showed, minimising the damage after Pakitsan got off to a rollicking start and scoring over 240 against a top-level team.Zimbabwe’s openers, Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha, built a solid foundation, adding 110 together. The pair began watchfully and the chase only began to gain momentum in the ninth over. Sibanda took on Sohail Tanvir, smacking him for three boundaries, an aerial shot over square leg, a glance down the leg side and a cut through point. He managed to stay away from the pull shot, which has cost him his wickets six times this summer.Chibhabha, who had not performed in the previous two matches of the series, was more cautious and only risked hitting the big shot when he seemed certain it would reach the boundary. There was a sublime stroke through the covers off Aizaz Cheema and a straight drive unfurled down the ground.Spin was introduced in the 11th over in the form of Mohammad Hafeez, who was economical without being threatening. His spin partner, legspinner Yasir Shah, had to wait until the 22nd over to make his debut but started encouragingly, with generous flight and a few googlies. Sibanda gifted him his maiden ODI wicket, two overs later. Just as the Zimbabwe opener had brought up his half-century and looked to accelerate, he was caught at long-on after misreading Shah.Brendan Taylor moved up the order to No. 3 but lasted just 14 balls before being caught behind and Chibhabha succumbed soon after to a soft dismissal, gifting Younis a catch at cover. Hamilton Masakadza and Tatenda Taibu showed signs of steadying the innings, but Taibu’s dismissal, caught by an athletic Younis in the deep, set in motion a mini-collapse as Zimbabwe lost four wickets for 32 runs. Masakadza fell to the slower ball from Sohail Khan, Chigubura mistimed a pull and Waller was cleaned up by a Cheema special, leaving Zimbabwe with no recognised batsmen. Cheema continued his impressive run in this series, bowling well in the dying periods of the game to end with career-best figures of 4 for 43.Zimbabwe’s spinners and Elton Chigumbura did well to keep Pakistan to 270 after it looked like a score over 300 was in sight. In the absence of senior paceman Chris Mpofu, the inexperience of Zimbabwe’s seamers was exposed and Brian Vitori and Kyle Jarvis served up a range of short and wide deliveries with Vitori also occasionally straying too far down the leg side.It took three overs for the pair to find the correct length, which was a touch short on this surface, but any small deviation was punished, as Jarvis found out when he bowled a fuller length to Imran Farhat, who pounced to smash him over point. Reward came in unexpected fashion when Vitori banged in a shorter one and got some extra bounce, which surprised Hafeez, who pulled to Waller deep midwicket.Chigumbura and Price tied Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq down and dragged the run-rate to just over five. Chigumbura was particularly impressive, found his lengths from the start and frustrated Farhat before enticing him to drive with a fuller, slower delivery that the opener played into the hands of Chamu Chibhabha at cover.Younis was not as easily tempted. He was happy to see off the good length ball and attack anything overpitched or tossed up, bringing up his fifty with a gorgeous inside-out shot over extra cover. Asad struggled against some tight bowling early in his innings, but Younis helped him find his rhythm and the pair began to rotate the strike well.Zimbabwe’s fielders put on a mixed display, saving some boundaries while letting others through and taking some improbable catches while dropping others. Shafiq was stumped after nifty work by Taibu who collected the ball off the rebound from his own chest to remove the bails and Shoaib Malik, who has yet to play an authoritative innings since making his comeback, was brilliantly caught by Chigumbura, low down in his follow through.Younis looked set for a hundred but was also caught in impressive fashion when Jarvis pouched a return catch after eliciting the drive. With wickets in hand in the last 10 overs, Pakistan looked to Adnan Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq to launch, but the pair added just 55 runs together. In the end, it proved to be more than enough.

Justice Cooke began his summing-up by telling the jury that Mazhar Majeed and Mohammad Amir were “involved in spot-fixing”

Richard Sydenham at Southwark Crown Court25-Oct-2011Justice Cooke began his summing-up of the alleged spot-fixing trial and directed the jury to deliberate for a verdict on the basis that agent Mazhar Majeed and teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir were “involved in spot-fixing”.The judge began his speech at about 3.45pm on Tuesday afternoon on the 15th day of one of the biggest controversies in cricket history. He told the jury he expects to take all of Wednesday to complete his overview of the evidence. Defendants Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif sat in the dock, listening intently, both smartly dressed in suits but without ties.”You can proceed on the basis that Majeed and Amir were involved in the spot-fixing at Lord’s, as all parties agree that is the case,” the Judge said. “But don’t be concerned by their absence from this trial.”He went on: “You should return true verdicts according to the evidence. Don’t let sympathy enter your verdicts and don’t speculate on what you might have heard outside of this courtroom. You should base your decision on the evidence alone and draw inferences, which I mean by drawing common sense conclusions.”The prosecution completed its closing speech on Monday afternoon, before Butt’s legal counsel had their closing split into two days. Asif’s defence, which was the shortest presentation of the three of about 90 minutes, ended on Tuesday afternoon.Former captain Butt and fast bowler Asif face charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord’s Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with Majeed and Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.

Pakistan’s regional cricket associations have proposed that they been given a stronger voice in the PCB and larger role in developing the sport at the grass-root level

Umar Farooq12-Nov-2011Pakistan’s regional cricket associations have proposed that they been given a stronger voice in the PCB and larger role in developing the sport at the grass-root level.The PCB’s governing board comprises 15 members, nine of who are directly appointed by the patron, the president of Pakistan, while the other six require the patron’s approval. There are only five elected representatives from regional associations on the governing board and they have a smaller role than members appointed directly by the patron.The heads of ten regional associations met with the PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf on November 10 and discussed the issues affecting them – lack of infrastructure at the grass-root level and financial constraints.”I find him [Ashraf] a keen personality who is trying to understand the system,” Wisal Muhammad Durrani, the president of the Peshawar cricket association, told ESPNcricinfo. “He isn’t from a cricketing background but looked very enthusiastic. I only wish that whatever was promised in the meeting should be implemented for the betterment of cricket.”At its annual conference in June, the ICC had given its member boards two years to become democratised and free from government and political interference in a bid to improve governance within the game. Pakistan’s regional associations are welcoming this move because it will empower them.”Regional associations, which are the primary production house for cricketers, need to be empowered for the betterment of cricket instead of having their rights snubbed,” a regional association head said. “We are serving as nurseries for developing talent and all of us are doing our job as honorary. We need a system and obviously the system needs us.”Another regional head said, “We are coming up through a process of election but for some reason regions aren’t given the importance they deserve. The idea is to have an elected body from bottom to top – a requirement by the ICC as well, which isn’t a unfair call at all.”The ICC’s Pakistan Task Team (PTT) had also recommended changes to the way cricket was run in the country, including the way the PCB functions. It also called for the regional associations to be given more authority.While the associations are being run democratically, the level of competency could be raised. The associations, however, said the PCB needed to help them improve. “Each one of the association heads is well educated and competent enough to handle cricketing matters,” Khawaja Nadeem Ahmed, the Lahore City Cricket Association head, said. “I think it’s about the confidence and helping the regions to rise – a practice that never was practiced. It’s a wrong perception about regions and their low capacity. All of them have good reputations.”