All posts by csb10.top

Australia have been confirmed as the top seed for this year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan after the completion of the league matches of the CB Series in Melbourne on Friday. Australia, the current holders of the Champions Trophy, will top the ICC one-day international rankings on the March 12 cut-off date irrespective of how they fare against India in the best-of-three finals over the next week.South Africa, who won the inaugural Champions Trophy in 1998, will be seeded second, followed by New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England and West Indies. The groupings will be announced on March 12.If India manage to seal the CB Series in the first two games, Australia will drop to 127 points but will remain fractionally ahead of South Africa. If they beat India with a match to spare Australia will go to 132 points. India will, in this scenario, remain on 110 points. A 2-1 win for Australia would put them on 130 points while India would return home on 111.Sri Lanka’s consolation 13-run win over the hosts in Melbourne ensured they did not slip in the rankings. A loss would have caused them to stumble to seventh place with England moving up to sixth. The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in September and October.

Shoaib Akhtar, the Pakistan fast bowler, has refused to respond to the notice sent by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), asking him to explain his recent critical statements in the media. Shoaib said the board had no right to question him as he was not a centrally contracted player.”I am not contracted to them,” Shoaib told reporters after the Pentangular Cup match between Federal Areas and Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. “So I am not bound to respond to their notice. How can they seek any explanation from me?”They can send me as many notices as they want but I know my rights and when I am not contracted to them I am not going to answer them.”Shoaib was overlooked for a central contract and instead offered a retainership, which he refused, insisting he didn’t need money to play for Pakistan. He then criticised the board’s policy on handing out contracts, accusing them of double standards after an unnamed inexperienced player who had played little cricket in the last six months was retained in the top category of contracts. He still has until February 18 to respond to the notice.A failure to respond, or a conclusion that he has criticized the board could result in a life ban, as Shoaib is currently serving two-year probation periof after his altercation with Mohammad Asif during the ICC World Twenty20 in August in South Africa. Aside from a 13-match ban and a massive monetary fine, Shoaib was warned by the board that any further indiscretions could end his playing career.He also dismissed the PCB’s statement that he needed to sign the retainership to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) in order to take part in the Indian Premier League starting in April. “Why do I need an NOC from them,” he asked. “I have no contract with them. So why this NOC condition and secondly this is a matter between me and the IPL and not the board.”As a result of this, there has also been increased speculation linking Shoaib to the Indian Cricket League (ICL), one not recognised by cricket boards across the world. He was said to be one of the Pakistan players approached last year, though he turned it down at the time. If he does join the ICL, he will subsequently be barred from representing Pakistan again, as per board policy.

The veteran New South Wales batsman Michael Bevan has signed a two-year deal with Tasmania.The move comes just 24 hours after the Tasmanian Cricket Association announced it had secured the services of sacked Zimbabwe allrounder Andy Blignaut. David Johnston, the TCA’s chief executive, said that he was thrilled they had been able to recruit a second player of international standing.Bevan’s appointment and transfer to Tasmania is still subject to a clearance from New South Wales, where he had played since 1990-91.Bevan, 34, recently lost his contract with the national team, signalling the end of his productive one-day career for Australia.

Match facts

Tuesday, May 6 2008
Start time 20.00 (local), 14.30 (GMT)

The Big Picture

Four days ago, the Chennai Super Kings were sitting on top of the points table with four wins out of four. Two defeats and a Trans-Tasman exodus later, they’ve slipped to No. 4. Chennai’s loss of form, with the bat in particular, has been dramatic. They were swung out for 109 by Sohail Tanvir in their previous game, the lowest score by a team batting first in the IPL. On paper, they have batsmen who can fire, and bowlers who have shown the ability to contain. All teams are entitled to their bad days and Chennai would do well to erase those bad memories as soon as possible. They will take heart from the fact that their opponents Deccan Chargers are languishing right at the bottom of the points table. However, Deccan have several impact players such as Adam Gilchrist and Shahid Afridi who, can single-handedly change the course of a match. The middle-order also needs to back up the efforts of Rohit Sharma, who is among the leading runscorers of the tournament.

Watch out for …

… Adam Gilchrist taking on Makhaya Ntini. Ntini bowled a maiden over against Rajasthan Royals and was one of the few bowlers who returned decent figures after the assault. Rohit taking on Muttiah Muralitharan should be another interesting battle in the middle overs.

Team news

Shahid Afridi has had a rough time with the bat so far but his saving grace is his contribution with the ball so one would expect him to retain his place. Chamara Silva has been warming the bench since he arrived in India and could be slotted in instead of Herschelle Gibbs. Moreover, Rohit could use some support in the middle order and Silva’s finishing abilities could be just what Deccan need.Deccan Chargers: 1 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 2 VVS Laxman (capt), 3 Scott Styris, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Shahid Afridi, 6 Chamara Silva, 7 Arjun Yadav, 8 Sanjay Bangar, 9 RP Singh, 10 P Vijaykumar, 11 Pragyan OjhaAs the only specialist foreign batsman in the side, Stephen Fleming needs to fire after two failures. Parthiv Patel hasn’t really pushed on after making starts. With only four overseas players to choose from, they are likely to retain their line-up from the previous game.Chennai: 1 Parthiv Patel, 2 Stephen Fleming, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 S Vidyut, 5 Albie Morkel, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 S Badrinath, 8 Joginder Sharma, 9 Manpreet Gony, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Makhaya Ntini

IPL form (last five matches)

Chennai Super Kings: WWWLL
Deccan Chargers: LLWLL

Stats and trivia

India’s situation could hardly have been more desperate. In the early stages of the 1983 World Cup, at the sleepy English venue of Tunbridge Wells, the lowly bowlers of Zimbabwe had ripped through their exalted opposition.India were 9 for 4 when their captain Kapil Dev came to the crease. That soon became 17 for 5, and elimination from the tournament seemed only a matter of time.Kapil, however, had other ideas. In the next couple of hours, the match was turned on its head, as blow followed furious blow, and Zimbabwe were put emphatically back in their place.Kapil’s unbeaten 175 – out of a total of 266 – secured a comfortable victory, but more importantly, it demonstrated to his team what they could achieve in the face of adversity. A week later, the mighty West Indies were rolled over in the final, and India became the champions of the world.Creativity was at the core of Kapil’s breathtaking abilities with bat and ball, and on occasions such as this, he enabled his team to touch unprecedented heights. He provided leadership that transcended mere tactics – and after carrying India’s fast-bowling hopes throughout his career, in 1991-92 he overtook Richard Hadlee as the world’s leading wicket-taker in Tests.It was a testament to his longevity as well as his undoubted skills, especially as he achieved the bulk of his success on India’s spin-friendly wickets. And all the while, his bombastic batting reminded his team of the powers of positive thinking.Perhaps the most memorable example of this came against England at Lord’s in 1990, when, with only the No. 11 for company, he struck four consecutive sixes to save the follow-on.

Canada 284 (48.1 overs, Davison 125, Billcliff 90) beat Namibia 282 (49 overs, Keulder 83, Sandher 5-57) by two runs
ScorecardsCanada got just the start they needed against a powerful Namibian side in the opening round of the ICC Trophy. A century by Man-of-the-Match John Davison, well supported by 90 from vice-captain Ian Billcliff, allowed Canada to set a big total. Namibia came within two runs of victory, but brave captaincy, coupled with five wickets at the death from Kevin Sandher, gave Canada a thrilling win.Canada were put into bat by Deon Kotze and immediately Davison celebrated Canada Day by smashing two boundaries off the first over. However Desmond Chumney was dismissed in the third, caught by Louis Burger off the bowling of Sarel Burger. The other opening bowler, Kola Burger, struck next, with Zubin Surkari judged lbw for 4, leaving Canada on 26 for 2 in the sixth over.Billcliff also started aggressively, taking two boundaries from Kola Burger’s fourth over. The fifty came up in the 11th over, and Davison reached his personal half-century (out of 73) four overs later. Davison treated the bowling of his counterpart, Kotze with scant respect, and the hundred came up in the 20th over. At the halfway stage of the innings Canada were 141 for 2.Davison completed a superb 86-ball hundred, including four sixes and 12 fours, and with Billcliff added 169 before he was caught by Stefan Swanepoel off the fourth Burger to bowl. His 125 equalled the third-highest innings by a Canadian in the ICC Trophy (Muneeb Diwan made 125, also against Namibia in 1996-97). Billcliff reached his half-century and brought up the 200 in the 35th over, but Namibia halted the Canadian acceleration with three quick wickets. When Billcliff fell for an excellent 90 in the 44th over a post-300 score seemed possible, but Canada failed to bat out their overs and it almost cost them dear.When Namibia batted, Don Maxwell made the initial breakthrough, bowling the dangerous Andries Burger for just 8. Sarel Bruger (42) and Keulder (83) however were harder to dislodge, but tight bowling meant they gradually slipped behind a challenging run-rate, and both were dismissed as they tried to accelerate.George Codrington, a late addition to the touring party, proved his worth as he came on third change and bowled his first five overs for eight runs, capturing the wickets of Danie Keulder and Gerrie Snyman. As the required crept towards double figures, Louis and Kola Burger were forced to hit out, which they did to some effect. Kotze came in and took up the challenge, taking on Davison, and hitting a quick 22.Davison persevered with the initially expensive Kevin Sandher, and that faith was rewarded as he grabbed wickets as Namibia hit out, taking his fifth with the final ball of the penultimate over as Canada squeaked home by just two runs.A win over one of the strongest teams in the group is the perfect start for Canada. Assuming that they have no trouble with Papua New Guinea or Oman (both crashed to heavy defeats), Canada can assure World Cup qualification with a win over Scotland or Netherlands.

Andy Bichel will play for Worcestershire in the 2004 county cricket season. Bichel, who was their overseas player in the 2001 and 2002 seasons, will be available to begin the season with them in April."When the opportunity arose to return to Worcestershire," said Bichel, "it didn’t take long for my family and myself to make the decision. We all thoroughly enjoyed our previous spell in Worcestershire and hoped we would be able to return at some stage in the future. The team is certainly stronger now and I look forward to playing my part in securing more success for the club."Bichel had topped the the county’s first-class and one-day bowling averages in 2002, and had taken 102 first class wickets at 26.5 and 68 one-day wickets at 16.1 in his previous stint there. He had also made a one-day century in 2001.Tom Moody, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, said: . "Andy is a quality player who earned great respect amongst his fellow players and our supporters during his previous period with the Club. He gives so much both on and off the field to our Club."

Glenn McGrath has welcomed Kevin Pietersen to Tests by telling him to expect a different level of performance from Australia. Pietersen sealed his spot during the one-day series when he averaged 51.25 against them, but McGrath insisted he used the time to spot some flaws.”We have picked up a few things in the one-dayers, certain shots he plays, and I think we’ve got a pretty good game-plan ready to go,” McGrath said. “It will be interesting to see how he goes at the longer format of the game. The fact that he averages 50 in first-class cricket shows that he can handle it pretty well.”Pietersen is expected to join the batsmen Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell and Andrew Flintoff on Ashes debuts at Lord’s on Thursday and McGrath believed the situation would benefit his side. “England have a lot of guys who haven’t played against us before and they’ll realise it’s a different level when you play Australia,” McGrath said.It has already been a busy week for McGrath, who has also planned his 500th Test scalp and dismissed suggestions he has overtaken Dennis Lillee, who collected 355 wickets, as his country’s greatest fast bowler. “I wouldn’t put myself in the same class as Lillee,” McGrath told . “He was more of a showman in the Shane Warne sort of mould but I am a bit more reserved. Lillee had the whole package. There was an aura about him.”William Hill has listed Marcus Trescothick as the 9-4 favourite for McGrath’s milestone, but the bowler is happy if it is either opener. “To see the stump cartwheeling would be far better than getting a wicket caught at long-off,” he told , “but a wicket’s a wicket, and there are 499 that have gone before it.”

After beating India twice in one month, Moin Khan said that he believed Pakistan had the firepower to do it a third time, during the Champions Trophy. Pakistan first romped to an authoritative win over their rivals in the Asia Cup, and then completely outplayed them on an uneven pitch in Amsterdam.The victories were significant, for they showed the improvement the team had made since Bob Woolmer became coach, and that they had put the series defeat against India behind them. Moin spoke about the pressure of facing India in front of a large Pakistani crowd away from home, as well as his own expectations. “In the last two games we dominated them, we beat them and I hope we’re going to perform in the same way,” Moin said to the BBC. “It’s going to be an exciting game because a lot of Pakistani people live here and support us. Definitely there’s going to be lots of pressure on both teams.”The match will be played at Edgbaston on September 19. Both teams have met only once before on an English ground: in the 1999 World Cup, where India beat Pakistan. But since then, Pakistan have beaten India seven times on neutral territory, while India have won three games.

Two of England’s leading international grounds, Lord’s and The Oval, are considering offers to stage exhibition games involving teams from the Indian Premier League, according to a report in .Although the venues for the initial games have already been allocated in India, there seems an increasing likelihood that other international venues will be also be used, as a way to promote the tournament around the world as much as provide world-class facilities. As it stands, however, the London venues will only host exhibition matches.Paul Sheldon, the Surrey chief executive, declined to comment to , while a spokesman for the MCC also refused to make a statement.Meanwhile, the Domestic Structure Review Group, chaired by Glamorgan chairman Paul Russell, will go before the ECB on April 9 and is due to suggest a radical response to the IPL. The committee proposes two new Twenty20 competitions, the first of which will run in early summer along similar lines to the old Benson & Hedges Cup which ran for 30 years from 1972. It will feature Minor Counties, the universities and Ireland and Scotland.The second tournament, according to today’s , will be called the English Premier League, taking place at the height of summer and consisting of 21 teams in three groups of seven – with county sides supplemented by international players from India, Australia and South Africa. The idea falls in line with the suggestions made by ECB’s chairman, Giles Clarke, that England should mirror some of the IPL’s makeup: namely, that Twenty20 sides field three overseas players and four players under the age of 23.”We wanted to see something radical come out of this committee,” an insider told the , “but instead it is as if they have put all the same balls into the hat, shaken them around a bit and taken them out again.”The idea of restoring the old Benson & Hedges Cup under a different name is just crazy. What this needed is some vision, a different pair of eyes. The DSRG should have gone out and sought the input of the players, the press, television. What about city teams, for instance, rather than counties? If we don’t take this thing by the scruff of the neck, we will find that the game has been pinched off us by other operators.”