The Cricket

Sunday, January 26, 2014

New Zealand add Ryder to Test squad for India

WELLINGTON: Jesse Ryder was on the verge of completing a remarkable return to international cricket Sunday when he was named on the fringe of the New Zealand squad for next month´s two Tests against India.

New Zealand have kept the same 12 players who won the second and third Tests against the West Indies last month with Ryder added as cover for Ross Taylor whose wife is expecting their second child.

The 29-year-old Ryder´s first step back into the international arena after a turbulent two years on the sidelines came last month when he was named in the New Zealand one-day international side.

Although loathe to tinker with a winning Test unit, chief selector Bruce Edgar said Ryder was one of a number of players in the ODI squad -- including Martin Guptill, Hamish Bennett and Jimmy Neesham -- pushing for Test selection.

While New Zealand have kept the same frontline 12 Test players as a reward for how they have played, coach Mike Hesson said they realised India posed a much tougher prospect than an under-strength West Indies.

"We were thrilled the way we played to beat the West Indies 2-0, but realise we´ll have to step it up another gear when playing India. It´s an exciting challenge," he said.

Ryder, a self-confessed "bad boy" who is regarded by many in New Zealand as a cult hero, went into a self-imposed exile 22 months ago to sort out personal issues following several alcohol-related incidents.

In March last year, he suffered a fractured skull and was placed in an induced coma in hospital after being beaten up outside a bar. He also received a six-month ban last year after testing positive to a performance-enhancing drug found in weight-loss pills he was taking.

The burly left-hander is a prodigiously talented batsman, averaging 40.93 from 33 Test innings and 34.00 in ODIs, from 40 innings.

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford, Jesse Ryder, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.

Test openers Fulton and Rutherford will also play in the New Zealand XI side in a two day warm-up match against India beginning on February 2.

The first Test starts in Auckland on February 6 and the second is in Wellington starting on February 14.

Former cricket chiefs attack ICC´s ´big three´ plan

PARIS: Former cricket chiefs on Sunday attacked the International Cricket Council´s (ICC) proposal for greater decision-making powers for a three-strong group of the Board of Control for Cricket.

The trio concerned are India, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board -- who between them represent the game´s wealthiest nations.

The ICC are due to discuss the controversial plan -- which has been drafted because of an apparent threat by India to withdraw from major global events unless there is radical reform of the ICC -- in Dubai on Tuesday and Wednesday.

However, a growing number of respected former cricket chiefs have expressed their alarm at such moves -- which would also include a two tier test league with Australia, India and England being protected from relegation owing to their financial weight.

Pakistan´s former ICC president Ehsan Mani has written a letter to the ICC -- which significantly has been co-signed by Malcolm Speed and Malcolm Gray formerly high up in the Australian cricket administration and then respectively chief executive and president of the ICCe -- saying the paper needed to be withdrawn.

Instead he and the other signatories -- which also include former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd -- agreed the ICC needed to re-examine the conclusions of the 2012 Woolf Report into ICC governance, which recommended, among other things, an improvement in governance standards, the appointment of independent board directors and greater transparency.

Mani estimated that if the draft was given the thumbs up the loss in projected revenue to Associate and Affiliate Members would be more than $312million, an amount that would instead be redistributed largely to the boards of India, Australia and England.

"The biggest gainers are BCCI, ECB and CA," Mani wrote."In addition, ICC events for the period 2015-2023 will be held only in India, England and Australia."

These Boards will receive hosting fees for the events in addition to the ICC Distributions they propose. "A point that also needs to be addressed is; why does BCCI need more money at the expense of other countries?"

The domestic and international media fees that BCCI receives from playing with other members are massive and underpin BCCI´s financial position.

"It is the richest cricket board in the world." If cricket is to grow and develop around the world more investment is required in the Associate & Affiliate countries, not less."

The Associate & Affiliate countries represent some of the biggest economies in the world.

"If cricket could be established properly in the United States of America and China and become an Olympic sport, the ICC could double its revenues in real terms over the next 10-15 years.

"This requires vision and a less parochial approach."Ali Bacher, who was managing director of the then United Cricket Board (now Cricket South Africa) from 1991 to 2001 and tournament director of the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, added his powerful voice to those of Mani and Speed in arguing for a more prudent approach to be taken.

The 71-year-old former South African Test captain wrote a letter to present ICC president Alan Isaac saying that cricket risked being torn apart if the proposal went through.

"The Position Paper put forward by BCCI, ECB and CA if accepted would lead to division and strife in world cricket as never seen before," he wrote.

"ICC member countries should never forget the animosity that existed particularly in the Sub-continent and the Caribbean when England and Australia had veto rights prior to 1993.

"I am therefore associating myself with the sentiments expressed by former ICC President Mr Ehsan Mani in his critique of the Position Paper where he espoused the recommendations of the Woolf Review."

Bacher told AFP that Mani had left no stone unturned in his perusal of the proposal."A lot has happened in the last 24 hours. I have got enormous respect for Ehsan Mani and he has made a thorough assessment of the position paper." (AFP)

Australia gains 1st position in ODI Ranking

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Zaka to take stand on issue of big three in interest of Pak, cricket

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman on Saturday said his stance on the ‘big three’ would be beneficial for Pakistan and cricket.

The issue of ‘big three’ is said to be a proposal to place control of the sport largely in the hands of India, Australia and England.

Zaka to take stand on issue of big three in interest of Pak, cricket

Talking to media here before his departure for Dubai to attend the crucial ICC meeting, Zaka Ashraf said that he had been in constant touch with the Indian Cricket Board president on the issue of ‘big three’ and made contact with the England Cricket Board also. While taking any stance on the issue of ‘big three’ Pakistan’s interest would be on top, he said.

Zaka Ashraf said that some positive headway could be made on the issue of Mohammad Amir, however it would take some time.

As regards government’s appeal against his reinstatement by the court, he said that all of us should work together.

Zaka Ashraf said that the committee would decide as to whether the coach would be local or foreign.

'Big three' bid to re-shape world cricket

LONDON: Cricket´s power-brokers meet next week amid an apparent threat from India to withdraw from major global events unless there is radical reform of the International Cricket Council.

The draft proposal to be discussed at a two-day ICC board meeting in Dubai on January 28 and 29 calls for more decision-making powers for a three-strong group of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board -- who between them represent the game´s wealthiest nations.

On the field, there is also a suggestion of the creation of two divisions for Test cricket but with England, Australia and India all safe from relegation because of their commercial importance.

The proposals need seven votes from the ICC´s 10 leading nations to pass.

Thursday saw the BCCI´s emergent working committee declare the proposal "in the interests of cricket at large".

It added it had "authorised the office bearers to enter into agreements with the ICC for participating in the ICC events and hosting ICC events, subject to the proposal being approved by the ICC board".

The BCCI working committee also gave the go ahead to its top officials to sign bilateral agreements with all other full member boards, including Pakistan.

At stake is the current ICC Future Tours Programme, a system that ensures all the 10 leading nations play each other over a set period, thereby guaranteeing the smaller countries aren´t starved of Test cricket in particular.

Criticism from other boards has so far largely been muted to complaints about a failure to follow procedure.

Both South Africa, currently Test cricket´s top-ranked nation and Sri Lanka, losing finalists against India in the last World Cup final, have called for the proposals to be deferred and taken off the table next week.

Meanwhile Federation of International Cricketers´ Association (FICA) chairman Paul Marsh accused the ´big three´ of leaving the other seven leading nations to "wither on the vine".

"This proposal is designed to vest control of the game in the three boards of India, Australia and England," added Marsh, the son of Australia great Rodney Marsh.

"It is not in the best interests of the global game and we have real fears that it will only serve to strengthen the ´big three´ countries whilst the rest are left to wither on the vine.

"The game deserves far better than this and all within FICA call on the other seven ICC board members to reject this proposal at next week´s board meeting. The future of the game depends on them doing so."

But with the BCCI, thanks to the huge popularity of cricket in India, generating 80 percent of the ICC´s global revenue, there is an acceptance in some quarters it deserves a larger slice of the proceeds.

And, after its ill-fated involvement with now convicted fraudster Allen Stanford over a short-lived Twenty20 competition in the Caribbean, there are those who say the ECB is better off being an ally of the BCCI than an opponent.

However, the prospect of, for example, the West Indies being denied Test series against England or Australia fills many cricket-lovers with dread.

Even so, New Zealand Cricket´s Martin Snedden said it was wrong to see the ´big three´ plan as nothing more than a power grab.

"Don´t jump to the conclusion what they´re doing is not good for world cricket," Snedden told the New Zealand Herald.

"Get this right and the FTP playing programme can be extended to 2023 and we can line it up with ICC events like the World Cup and World T20. That´d be a stable platform to work from."

New Zealand, India tie third ODI

AUCKLAND: New Zealand and India tied their third one-day international at Eden Park here Saturday.

The home side were dismissed for 314 on the last ball of their 50 overs and India finished on 314-9 when Ravindra Jadeja hit a single of the last ball.

New Zealand, India tie third ODI

In the New Zealand innings, Martin Guptill made 111 and Kane Williamson 65 while Jadeja took two for 47. For India, Jadeja was not out 66 and Ravi Ashwin made 65 while Corey Anderson took five for 63.

The tie kept the series alive with two matches remaining after New Zealand won the first two matches.

Imran launches cricket scheme in KP

PESHAWAR: Former Pakistan cricketer turned politician Imran Khan launched a scheme Saturday to scout talent in the troubled northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, hoping the game could bolster anti-terrorism efforts.

Khan, who led Pakistan to their only World Cup win in Australia in 1992, said he hoped finding new talent in the region could help Pakistan win the title once more.

"This is the start to a campaign to unearth talent in the KPK (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa), who will in turn bring another World Cup to Pakistan," Khan said at the launch of the scheme.

Khan´s political party -- Tehreek-e-Insaaf (Movement for Justice) -- emerged as the third biggest force in last year´s elections and formed a provincial government in the Khyber-Paktunkhwa province, plagued by frequent suicide bombings by Taliban militants. His party faces the challenge of bringing peace to the province, with Khan a vocal advocate on holding talks with the Taliban.

"I hope and pray that peace is restored in every part including FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) where a lot of cricket talent needs to be unearthed," said Khan, who played 88 Tests and 175 one-day internationals for Pakistan during an illustrious career.

Khan said he was himself unearthed by a talent hunt scheme. "Forty years ago I went to Lahore University ground and was selected as a 16-year-old boy," said Khan.

"When I launched the first scheme in Karachi 20 years ago we unearthed Shahid Afridi," he added, describing the allrounder who still plays limited overs cricket for Pakistan.

Afridi, also present at the launch, said young Pakistani talent was needed to supplement people like Khan both in cricket and politics as well as to divert young people away from extremism.

"It´s a healthy activity and will help divert the youth to constructive activities, so I request the youth to support Khan, both in cricket and politics," said Afridi.

Under the talent hunt scheme eight teams will be selected throughout KP province and selected players will be recommended to Pakistan´s national selectors. (AFP)

Doha win’ll make good impact on T20 World Cup: Sana Mir

LAHORE: Pakistan women's cricket team captain Sana Mir said that their triangular tournament victory in Doha would make a positive impact on their preparations for the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup.

She said this while talking with media here at the airport after her team arrived from Doha.

Doha win'll make good impact on T20 World Cup: Sana Mir

Pakistan women's team outclassed South African by seven wickets in the PCB Qatar Women's T20 Tri-series final at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

Sana said that both their counterparts in the triangular tournament - South Africa and Ireland – are in the same pool in which Pakistan would participate in the T20 World Cup.

She further said that defeating the strong team of South Africa to win the Tri-series was the proof of Pakistan's impressive team spirit.