West Indies-Australia Tests to clash with IPL

Australia will tour West Indies for a full series in March and April next year. The Tests coincide with the first half of the fifth IPL season and may result in some players missing out for their respective franchises. Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, David Warner, Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin are among those in the current Test squad who are contracted with IPL teams. The tour kicks off with a five-match...

Roebuck committed suicide, say police

Peter Roebuck was questioned in his room by police about an alleged sexual assault - reports Peter Roebuck fell to his death from his Cape Town hotel room while being questioned by police about an alleged sexual assault, it has been reported. A police statement said the circumstances surrounding Roebuck's suicide were being investigated. Western Cape provincial police spokesperson Frederick van...

Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel to join selection panel

Andy Bichel retired from first-class cricket in 2009 Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel have been chosen as the two part-time members of the reconfigured Cricket Australia national selection panel. Their appointments leave that of the new head coach as the only role still to be filled ahead of the home summer. Marsh, 64, and Bichel, 41, will bring sharp eyes and widespread respect to their roles as selectors...

Blues pressing for outright

South Australia 1 for 59 and 266 (Cooper 98, Klinger 49, Katich 3-29) v New South Wales 6 for 474 declared New South Wales were pressing for outright points against South Australia having enforced the follow-on when rain brought another early finish on day three of the Sheffield Shield match at Bankstown Oval in Sydney. The Redbacks were bowled out for 266 on day three, as Tom Cooper's stroke-laden...

Team management failed Amir, says mentor

Asif Bajwa: "It's a challenge to remove a stigma, as our society is very cruel, but I believe he [Mohammad Amir] will be back." © Associated Press Mohamamd Amir was a victim of Pakistan's cricketing culture and, specifically, the team management that failed to protect him, his mentor Asif Bajwa has said. Bajwa runs an academy in Rawalpindi...

Mohammad Asif to be moved to an 'open' prison

An open prison should come as some respite for Mohammad Asif © AFP Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif will this week be moved to an open prison, according to a close friend, which will allow him more freedom and privileges than at a closed prison where more dangerous criminals are housed. The friend of former world...

India can use WI series to regain confidence: Akram

New Delhi: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels the upcoming Test series against West Indies will help India "regain confidence" and finalise a settled squad for the more challenging Australia tour next month. "Ashwin and Ojha are good no doubt, but they should be used to complement Harbhajan. Given his vast experience, India can't do without Bhajji's class," Akram said. ©...

Husain wonders if he was part of 'fixed' games

London: Former England captain Nasser Hussain said the conviction of three Pakistan cricketers in the spot-fixing scam has made him wonder if he had been part of any dodgy games during his career. Nasser Hussain said the spot-fixing scam has made him wonder if he had been part of any dodgy games. © AFP Recollecting the infamous Centurion Test between South Africa and England...

ICC did not have enough power: Ex-chief Speed

Melbourne: Former ICC chief Malcolm Speed has rued the lack of power for the game's Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) during his tenure as a major hurdle in unearthing the match-fixers. Former ICC chief Malcolm Speed revealed that anti-corruption officers did not have the power to tap phones, scrutinise financial records or enact any kind of sting when he was at the helm, which...

BCCI writes to Sports Ministry on Sports Bill

New Delhi: The BCCI, which had rejected the revised Sports Bill last week on Friday wrote a letter to the Sports Ministry, conveying their strong reservations on various aspects of the controversial bill. "While the BCCI is all for good governance and transparency in sports bodies, certain aspects of the Bill seek to destroy the autonomy of the Board and dilute the rights of its members,"...

Wadekar condemns Pak cricketers for spot-fixing

Kolkata: Former India captain Ajit Wadekar on Friday condemned the three jailed Pakistani cricketers, saying the punishment meted out to the tainted trio for their involvement in spot-fixing was "necessary" to make the game corruption free. Wadekar condemned the three jailed Pakistani cricketers, saying the punishment meted out to the tainted trio for their involvement in spot-fixing...

Cricketers jailed over spot fixing

Salman Butt, his former team-mates and their agent have all been handed jail terms A London court has handed out jail terms to the three players and their agent found guilty in the spot-fixing case, drawing the curtains on one of cricket's most sordid and shameful sagas. Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain, has been sentenced to two years and six months; Mohammad Asif has got a one-year jail...

Warne to sign with Melbourne Stars, Hogg a Scorcher

Shane Warne will return to what he does best at the MCG Shane Warne is expected to announce his signing with the Melbourne Stars in this summer's Twenty20 Big Bash League. After a period of doubt about what part Warne would play in the BBL, The Age has reported that Warne will be unveiled as a signing with the Stars next week. It is understood he will be available for all seven games. While the...

Fixing to be illegal in Australia in 2012

Former ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed has been at the forefront of a push towards anti-fixing legislation in Australia Fixing matches or elements within them will be illegal in Australia in 2012, perhaps as soon as March, as the federal and state governments push ahead with specialised legislation. The legislation, which is set to include penalties of up to 10 years' jail for those found to...

New Zealand domestic one-day competition renamed

New Zealand's domestic one-day competition has been renamed the Ford Trophy, New Zealand Cricket announced today. Ford is currently the official sponsors of the six major domestic teams and the official vehicle supplier to New Zealand Cricket, the men's and women's senior teams. The tournament was earlier called the New Zealand Cricket One Day Competition. "Cricket has already benefited from the...

Butt, Asif found guilty on both charges

Salman Butt: guilty The jury in the spot-fixing trial has found Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif guilty, by a unanimous verdict, on the charge of 'conspiracy to cheat' and guilty by a 10-2 majority decision on the charge of 'conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments'. The sentences will be pronounced by the judge, Justice Cooke, on Wednesday and Thursday; both players will remain on bail until...

Yuvraj wants to resurrect Test career

Yuvraj Singh scored a half-century in his last Test Yuvraj Singh, the India batsman, has said this is the right time to focus on his Test career as he is finally injury-free after a three-month break following the broken finger he sustained in England. He has played just two competitive games since he was hit on the left index finger by Tim Bresnan during the Nottingham Test, and returns to the...

Sri Lanka players may be paid after Pakistan series

Upali Dharmadasa, the chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket's interim committee, has said he is hopeful that his country's national cricketers will be paid their salaries when they return home after the series against Pakistan currently being played in the UAE. SLC is expecting to receive the remaining payments of around US$ 4.3 million from the ICC for hosting the 2011 World Cup shortly. "We are awaiting...

Katich to face CA hearing for Clarke comments

Simon Katich has continued to speak his mind about being left out of the Australia side Simon Katich, the Australia batsman, will face a Cricket Australia (CA) hearing over the recent comments he made about Australia captain Michael Clarke having a hand in keeping him out of the national side. Katich was reported under the CA code of behaviour provisions covering detrimental public comment. Details...

Sri Lankan players unpaid since World Cup - reports

About 100 cricketers contracted to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), including national players, have not been paid their salaries since the 2011 World Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, BBC Sinhala has reported. There were also doubts over whether the SLC would be able to pay salaries in the next two months. "There is a truth in those media reports to a certain extent," SLC chairman Upali...

Rudolph recalled to Test side after five years

Jacques Rudolph's recall was widely expected following his impressive run of recent form Opening batsman Jacques Rudolph, who played the last of his 35 Tests in August 2006, has been recalled to the South Africa Test squad for the two-match series against Australia. Legspinner Imran Tahir and allrounder Vernon Philander also got their first call-ups to the Test squad. Rudolph came in for opener...

Butt has 'been caught' court told

Salman Butt ended a long spell in the witness box with further tough questioning Salman Butt, in an often fraught exchange with the prosecution headed by Aftab Jafferjee QC, was told he had "been caught" and was "controlling" the players through the no-balls. Butt's three-day vigil in the witness box ended on Wednesday - the eleventh day of the trial in London - with Butt accepting no part in the...

Afridi withdraws retirement

Shahid Afridi is ready to return to international cricket Shahid Afridi has withdrawn his international retirement and says he is available for selection for Pakistan in the limited-over formats. Afridi had announced a 'conditional' retirement from international cricket in May, after having been stripped of the ODI captaincy, saying he would return if there were changes in the PCB and the team management. Since...

Marsh to replace Lee

Allrounder Mitchell Marsh will remain in South Africa for the one-day leg of the tour Cricket Australia has named allrounder Mitchell Marsh as a replacement for Brett Lee in Australia's ODI squad for the series against South Africa. Marsh is a part of Australia's Twenty20 squad in South Africa and will remain with the team for the one-day leg of the tour, as Lee underwent a surgery for appendicitis...

Court hears million-dollar plan to fix Oval Test

Salman Butt's name was again mentioned in recordings played to the jury Mazhar Majeed, the agent of several Pakistan players, was offered US$1 million by an Indian bookmaker to ensure the team lost the third Test at The Oval against England, which they eventually won, a court heard in London on Tuesday. On the fifth morning of the alleged spot-fixing trial involving former Pakistan captain Salman...

No evidence of Australia fixing, says ACSU officer

The court heard there was no evidence to back up Mazhar Majeed's claims about Australia A senior anti-corruption officer for the ICC told a court on Tuesday that his department had no evidence of any match-fixing carried out by the Australia team. Alan Peacock, who has been with the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit since its inception in September 2000, was asked a question by Salman Butt's...

Huge odds of exact no-balls - expert

The court was shown footage of Mohammad Asif's no-ball at Lord's The likelihood of three no-balls occurring at pre-determined times in a Test match had a "one in a 1.5 million chance" of happening, a court was told on Monday during the alleged spot-fixing trial of two Pakistan cricketers. Sky Sports statistician Benedict Bermange, appearing as a prosecution witness late in the afternoon, made...

SLC gets official warning for Galle pitch

"Whilst we do not wish to see a pitch that is too heavily weighted in favour of the batsmen, in this instance, the balance was just too much in favour of the bowler" Sri Lanka Cricket has been given an official ICC warning for preparing a "poor" pitch in Galle for the first Test against Australia that was played from August 31-September 3. The ICC's pitch consultant Andy Atkinson will inspect the...

We haven't tampered with the ball - Cook

Alastair Cook came out in defence of his bowlers at Heathrow England's one-day captain Alastair Cook has rubbished claims by Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul that James Anderson and Stuart Broad were involved in ball tampering. Cook said if Gul did have any concerns he should have gone through the proper channels. Gul hit the headlines after giving an interview in Karachi, where he suggested he had...

Spot-fixing trial set to begin

Mohammad Asif will appear in court with Salman Butt on Tuesday  Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif begin their trial at a criminal court in London on Tuesday, more than a year on from the spot-fixing allegations that engulfed the cricket world during Pakistan's troubled tour of England. The former Pakistan Test captain Butt, 27 on Friday, and fast bowler Asif, 28, will appear at Southwark Crown...

Umar Akmal dropped from Test squad

Umar Akmal was dropped from the Test squad and asked to work on playing long innings Umar Akmal has been dropped from the Pakistan Test squad for their series against Sri Lanka in the UAE starting later this month. Shoaib Malik, who was on Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe after gaining clearance from the PCB, finds a place in the 15-man squad.Several of the first-choice bowlers who were rested...