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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said it will begin ex-parte proceedings against Shahid Afridi should he decide against attending the disciplinary committee meeting in Lahore on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2011The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said it will begin ex-parte proceedings [in a person’s absence] against Shahid Afridi should he decide against attending the disciplinary committee meeting in Lahore on Wednesday.”In case Shahid Afridi decides against appearing for the hearing, the disciplinary committee will still meet and begin ex-parte proceedings,” Taffazul Rizvi, the PCB’s legal advisor told on Monday. Afridi, returned to Pakistan on Sunday, and in a press conference in Karachi the following day, he and his lawyers Syed Ali Zafar and Mahmood Mandviwalla of the legal firm Mandviwalla & Zafar, refused to rule in or out his appearance at the hearing.One of the demands of Afridi’s lawyers was that he should be allowed a legal representative at the hearing. In a press release issued a few hours before Monday’s press conference the PCB had agreed to that demand stating: “In response to certain reports in a section of media, Pakistan Cricket Board states that it will have no objection if the disciplinary committee allows Shahid Afridi to be assisted/represented by a lawyer during the disciplinary proceedings.””Although it is the PCB’s internal matter, it has as a matter of grace announced that if the committee has no issues it won’t object to Afridi’s lawyer attending the hearing,” Rizvi said. While both Zafar and Mandviwalla said they had received no such communication on Monday, Rizvi told ESPNcricinfo that after the press conference, Afridi’s lawyers had been told they will be allowed in, though they had yet to respond to it.Afridi’s lawyers have insisted they are asking only for a due process to be followed and that the act of suspension of the central contract and NOC withdrawal were punishments handed out the player had been heard. But Rizvi rejected these objections.”The board has suspended Afridi’s central contract because he is under investigation for breaches of discipline,” he said. “Because his contract has been suspended, all NOCs granted to him have been revoked.”Rizvi added that by repeatedly targeting the PCB, Afridi was committing “continuing breaches” of discipline. “Afridi’s contract has been suspended. He hasn’t made any request for the termination of his contract which means that he is still bound by the central contract.”

Sussex Sharks’ hopes of extending their lead at the top of the South Group were dashed after the Friends Life t20 game against Kent Spitfires was abandoned at Hove

17-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Sussex Sharks’ hopes of extending their lead at the top of the South Group were dashed after the Friends Life t20 game against Kent Spitfires was abandoned at Hove. Persistent rain for much of the day made the decision for umpires Nigel Llong and Neil Bainton a formality and the game was called off at 7pm, both sides taking one point.The Sharks are still well placed to reach the quarter-finals, having won five of their seven games so far while Kent will be hoping to maintain the momentum that had brought them two successive wins when they play their next game against Middlesex at Uxbridge on June 24.

Ravi Rampaul, the West Indies fast bowler, has been fined 10% of his match fee for showing dissent and his captain Darren Sammy has been reprimanded for breaching the code of conduct during the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2011West Indies seamer Ravi Rampaul has been fined 10% of his match fee for showing dissent and his captain Darren Sammy has been reprimanded for breaching the code of conduct during the first Test against India in Jamaica.Rampaul was penalised for asking the umpire whether the ball he was dismissed off was a no-ball for height. Ishant Sharma had already bowled a couple of bouncers in the over before another delivery reared up unexpectedly, brushing Rampaul’s gloves as he fended at it. The match referee, Jeff Crowe, deemed Rampaul to have breached clause 2.1.3 of the code which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision”.Sammy was warned for pointing to his forearm after a huge appeal for a close-in catch off the first delivery he faced. The appeal was turned down but Sammy was punished for conduct “contrary to the spirit of the game”.There was no official hearing as both players accepted the ruling of the match referee. “Just like India player Amit Mishra in the first innings, Ravi stood his ground and gestured to both the umpires on being given out,” Crowe said. “Darren, who was eventually given not out, immediately looked to influence the umpire as to where the ball struck him.”

UAE recovered well from Monday’s loss, putting in team effort to register a four-wicket win against Kenya in the Intercontinental One-Day Cup in Nairobi, as a century from Kenya opener Rakep Patel went in vain

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2011
Scorecard UAE recovered well from their loss in the first 50-over game against Kenya, putting in a team effort to register a four-wicket win in the Intercontinental One-Day Cup in Nairobi, as a century from Kenya opener Rakep Patel went in vain.After Kenya were asked to bat, Patel – who was very highly rated by the previous Kenya coach Eldine Baptiste – built the host’s total almost single-handedly with a knock of 124 off 154 balls. He struck nine fours and six sixes before being run out in the final over of the innings. Only Tanmay Mishra offered Patel adequate support, scoring a half-century in a 111-run stand for the third wicket, as Kenya posted 230 for nine. Saqib Ali was pick of the UAE bowlers, claiming three middle-order wickets while conceding only 28 in an eight-over spell.UAE lost Bakthiyar Palekar early on in the chase, but were steadied by Arshad Ali and Amjad Ali who added 85 for the second wicket. Kenya fought back with three wickets in the space of 17 runs, including that of Amjad Ali for 60, before another half-century stand between Shaiman Anwar and Khurram Khan put them back on course. Anwar fell with his side 46 short of victory, but Khurram saw the chase through, finishing unbeaten on 65 as UAE won with 20 balls to spare.

The ECB may prevent counties from playing in the Champions League Twenty20 unless payments are made up-front, according to a report in the Telegraph

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2011The ECB may prevent counties from playing in the Champions League Twenty20 unless payments are made up front, according to a report in the UK’s Telegraph.The board insists that the two counties that qualify for the qualification stage of the tournament – which will be the winners of the two Friends life T20 semi-finals; Lancashire v Leicestershire, and Hampshire v Somerset – have to receive the money to cover their costs from the tournament organisers before they are allowed to compete in the tournament that starts in September.Many of the teams that played in the first two Champions Leagues have either not received their payment on time or in full. Somerset and Sussex played in the inaugural 2009 Champions League in India, while no English county played in the second event, in South Africa in 2010, after a dispute between the ECB and the tournament organisers over scheduling.Richard Gould, who was Somerset’s chief executive when they went to the Champions League in 2009 and is now Surrey’s, told the Telegraph: ”The payment was late but was paid eventually, within about five months, and it was paid in full minus about 20% Indian government tax.”The Champions League is currently given a window in the Future Tours Programme, unlike the Indian Premier League which is regarded purely as a domestic competition.The qualification stage of the third tournament starts in Hyderabad on September 19, with both English counties scheduled to play the following day. Only teams from India, South Africa and Australia have been given direct berths in the main stages of the tournament, with teams from all other countries having to qualify first.

The Bangalore rain continue to mar what’s been, for the most part, an exciting Champions League Twenty20

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2011Match abandoned
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The Bangalore rain continued to mar what’s been, for the most part, an exciting Champions League Twenty20. The rain had relented after a downpour the previous night but the toss, won by South Australia who chose to field, took place under overcast conditions. There was a steady drizzle not long before the scheduled start at 4pm and it intensified, leaving puddles on the outfield, ruining any possibility of play and putting the next game due to start at 8pm in jeopardy.Somerset and South Australia gained a point each due to the abandonment. Somerset now have three points with two games in hand. South Australia also have three points but are under greater pressure, given they have just one game remaining.

Opener Karl Turner posted his maiden County Championship half-century as Nottinghamshire made a steady start in reply to Sussex’s imposing first innings total at Trent Bridge

13-Sep-2011
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Opener Karl Turner posted his maiden County Championship half-century as Nottinghamshire made a steady start in reply to Sussex’s imposing first innings total at Trent Bridge.Starting the second day on 312 for 6, Sussex added a further 176 before they were finally dismissed for 488, Murray Goodwin advancing to 170 and Amjad Khan making 65 as the visiting side’s tail wagged to great effect. Nottinghamshire seamer Andre Adams finished with 5 for 110, his seventh fifth-wicket haul of the season.In reply England Twenty20 opener Alex Hales hit a rapid 49 to pass 1,000 Championship runs for the first time in his career, while Turner finished the day on 52 not out, with Notts closing on 132 for one, 356 behind.As on day one, the match had a distinct end-of-season feel to it. Neither side are in the title hunt or at threat of relegation. Goodwin continued to accumulate steadily in the morning session while Naved Arif went on the attack, pulling Luke Fletcher for three fours in four balls before he was caught behind off the seamer for 30.Hales dropped a sitter at first slip off Khan when the former England seamer had made just five and the 30-year-old went on to post the fifth half-century of his career as the home attack toiled. Goodwin was eventually caught at gully off Charlie Shreck shortly before lunch – driving at a ball that bounced a fraction – having batted for more than seven hours, facing 329 balls and hitting 21 fours.Khan and James Anyon then put on 62 for the ninth wicket before Adams returned to wrap up the innings, Anyon being caught behind for 28 and Khan lbw playing across his pads.With nothing resting on the game, Hales and Turner were able to bat with some freedom in the early stages, although it was the right-handed Hales who once again looked the classier batsman with impressive drives through the off-side.A single to mid-off took the 22-year-old to 1,000 Championship runs – the first top-order batsman to reach that milestone for Notts since Mark Wagh in 2008 – but having reached tea on 54-0, Hales then threw his wicket away on 49 attempting to hit Monty Panesar over the top, only to find Ed Joyce at mid-on.Left-handers Turner and Darren Bravo found the going tough against the England spinner, but a drive through midwicket did see Turner reach 50 – and the 23-year-old will hope to add to his score on day three as he pursues a contract for next season.

A round-up of the action from the fourth day of the fifth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2011It took State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) a little over 20 overs on the final day to wrap up an innings and 46-run win over Faisalabad at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha. The only resistance came from Faisalabad’s overnight pair, Asif Hussain and Zeeshan Butt. Resuming on 116 for 3, the pair took their stand beyond the hundred-run mark, before being separated with the score on 141. The final six wickets then fell for just 16 runs. The bowlers shared the wickets around, but legspinner Kashif Siddiq was the best of them, claiming 4 for 22.The game between Karachi Blues and Habib Bank Limited (HBL) at the National Stadium in Karachi was called off without the third innings being completed. HBL went from 80 for no loss to 210 for 4 on the final day, a lead of 192 runs over Karachi, at which point the game was halted. Both openers, Shan Masood and Ahmed Shehzad, went on to complete half-centuries and put on their second century partnership of the game. Shehzad was subsequently banned for one game for dissent.Sialkot managed to hold on for a draw against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. They began the final day on 29 for no loss, following on and trailing by 138 runs. But a strong showing from their top order made sure they secured the match. Five of the top six got into double figures, with Mansoor Amjad top scoring with 99. Amjad was on course for his seventh first-class hundred, but was run out going for his 100th run.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Mirpur

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya30-Nov-2011Match factsThursday, December 1
Start time 1330 (0730 GMT)Shoaib Malik is under pressure•Getty ImagesBig PictureBangladesh’s ODI record has improved steadily over the years – the 4-0 drubbing of New Zealand and the win against England at the 2011 World Cup being some recent notable achievements. Both those wins came at home, and it’s at home that their spin-strong attack can challenge their opponents seriously, if not necessarily win.This time, Bangladesh’s opponents are a team on a high and significantly superior to those they played in the lead-up to this bilateral series. Bangladesh claimed wins in dead rubbers against Zimbabwe and West Indies – not a great consolation since they were expected to do much better – and caught a glimpse of what they might be up against during their big defeat in the Twenty20 international at the start of this tour.Though Bangladesh’s bowlers were largely economical, Pakistan’s batsmen gave their own bowling attack enough runs to defend on a tricky pitch in Mirpur. In their chase, Bangladesh stagnated, losing wickets early, hitting their first boundary as late as the ninth over and showing little resistance against the variations of Pakistan’s bowlers, including Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Shoaib Malik. Not only do Pakistan have quicker bowlers, their spinners can be just as effective in Bangladeshi conditions. It’s a tall order for the hosts to spring a surprise in the three one-day games but they are playing where they play best, and it remains to be seen how strong a challenge they present.Form guideBangladesh: WLLWW (most recent first)
Pakistan: WWWLWIn the spotlight…While Bangladesh’s heavy reliability on Shakib Al Hasan is likely to continue, Bangladesh’s vice-captain Mahmudullah will also be expected to play a significant role. An offspinner and a middle-order batsman, Mahmudullah has played several handy knocks, bowled tight spells and cleared the boundary at the death. He’s part of a core of senior players that includes Shakib, Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal, and his all-round ability is a big asset.Shoaib Malik will be under pressure. He’s not been in great touch since his return to international cricket, after being cleared by the PCB’s integrity committee. His scores in his last six international innings read: 7, 11, 2, 0, 2* and 2. While part of a team on the upswing, his own form has been on the decline and another couple of failures won’t augur well for his selection prospects.Team newsTrouble with his knee forced Tamim to be rested in the Twenty20 international and he hoped to return for the limited-overs games.Bangladesh (possible) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Shahriar Nafees/Alok Kapali, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Naeem Islam, 8 Nasir Hossain, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Rubel Hossain.Malik’s troubles might begin with the return of Younis Khan, who didn’t play the Twenty20 game.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Umar Akmal (wk), 6 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Abdul Razzaq/Sohail Tanvir, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz Cheema.Stats and trivia Pakistan and Bangladesh will be playing each other in an ODI for the first time since June 2010, when the teams met in the Asia Cup in Dambulla. Of the 26 games the teams have played, Bangladesh have lost 25 but their only win is a famous one. Misbah-ul-Haq has an impressive record in ODIs, averaging 42.42 in 86 matches. He has 18 half-centuries in the format, but no hundreds.Quotes”Pakistan are playing very consistent cricket and it’ll be tough to beat them, but if are boys are up for it, we should be able to do it.”

“If it’s a spinning wicket we have spinners, if it’s not then we also have good fast bowlers.”

By stumps on the first day, Abhinav had powered to an unbeaten 150, guiding his team to an imposing 288 for 2

Nitin Sundar13-Dec-2011Five rounds into the Ranji season, Abhinav Mukund is yet to have a failure. He has scored runs in all corners of India, against varied attacks of impressive pedigree. And it was more of the same as Tamil Nadu took on Gujarat at Motera. By stumps on the first day, Abhinav had powered to an unbeaten 150, guiding his team to an imposing 288 for 2. Given his good form and well-known appetite for big scores, one wouldn’t bet against him getting to his second double-hundred of the season on the second day.”I am happy with the effort, but would like to carry on and get a huge score tomorrow,” Abhinav told ESPNcricinfo. ” It was a flat wicket, but it did a bit in the morning session. The ball was swinging, and M Vijay got a really good ball in the first over. [Gujarat medium pacer] Ishwar Chaudhary was a constant threat since he got the ball to angle in and straighten.”Abhinav was backed up by S Badrinath, who shrugged off a long injury lay-off to produce a century that suggested he hasn’t lost the touch that made him the highest run-getter in 2010. Together the pair added 223 runs for the second wicket, batting through the bulk of the day.”It has always been great to bat with Badri,” Mukund said. “He talks a lot in the middle, and he mentions all the little important things that make a difference to your batting. He knows exactly what goes on during a big stand, he watches you closely from the other end and guides you well. In the last few years, we have developed this habit of sharing some big partnerships, and it was good to produce another one today.”Abhinav, like Badrinath and Vijay, began the season with plenty to prove, having lost favour with the India selectors, but has flourished under the challenge. Vijay, however, has endured a difficult season, making only 121 runs from seven innings. But Abhinav believes his opening partner hasn’t much luck this season.”He’s been working really hand, and things are definitely about to turn around soon for him,” Abhinav said. “He has got out to a couple of very good balls and also been run-out once. As an opener, you could miss out at times on easy tracks, after getting a difficult ball early. He has got only one start in four innings, but I am sure we will have a big partnership soon.”On paper, the Gujarat attack is probably the easiest Abhinav has encountered so far. The double-hundred against Haryana came under pressure, as TN were chasing the first-innings lead against an attack including Amit Mishra. Abhinav also made a match-winning 83 at Eden Gardens against a Bengal attack led by the in-form Ashok Dinda. But, personally, he rates the 99 he scored on a treacherous Ferozshah Kotla pitch against the challenging new-ball pairing of Ashish Nehra and Parvinder Awana as his best innings so far this season. During that effort, he was struck by a Pradeep Sangwan delivery that took off to hit his jaw, forcing him to retire hurt on 39. The blow made it diffcult to talk, but he was feeling comfortable enough to bat.”That 99 was special, since it came on a difficult track with a sore jaw. After getting hit, I was finding it difficult to see the ball, and the bounce was unpredictable. That will probably be up there with the best knocks I have played. Equally, in the Haryana game, I built on my century to get a double-ton which was quite satisfying since we were losing wickets at the other end.”The season has been a success on the personal front so far, and Abhinav isn’t letting the disappointment of missing the flight to Australia affect that. “When you’re not in the national team, it is disappointing, but it is very important to move on. I am thankful for the experience I got in England and West Indies. It definitely helps you, and you come back to domestic cricket as a much better batsman after spending time with guys who have over 10,000 runs. I have progressed as a batsman from those experiences and retain the hunger to score big runs.”Making a comeback is not on my hands, and I am not thinking about national selection now. My first goal is to keep doing well, and win the Ranji Trophy for my side.”