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 ODI series on March 16, the games shared between St Vincent and St Lucia. The teams then play two Twenty20 internationals followed by a three-day warm-up match involving the visitors. The three-Test series begins on April 11, a week after the start of the IPL, and ends on April 27. Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana will host the three Tests.

The ODI series clashes with the Sheffield Shield final in Australia, which is scheduled between March 16-20.

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 Wyk was quoted by Reuters as saying that "a cricket commentator committed suicide by jumping from the sixth floor of his hotel." He died on impact.

A report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Roebuck's employers, said he was questioned in his room at the Southern Sun Hotel by a Cape Town detective and a uniformed police officer from the sexual crimes unit from around 9 pm.

Roebuck, who the report said was agitated, asked a fellow cricket journalist for help. ''Can you come down to my room quickly? I've got a problem,'' he said. He asked for help to find a lawyer and for contact to be made with the students he helped to house in Pietermaritzburg, near Durban.

Minutes later, the Herald reported, Roebuck fell to his death from a window. It is believed only the uniformed officer was in the room. Paramedics rushed to the hotel but Roebuck was pronounced dead.

Police established a crime scene and took personal items from the room, including a laptop.

Colonel Vishnu Naidoo of the South African Police Services, told ESPNcricinfo that they suspect no foul play and that it was a suicide. He said there would be an inquest, after which the SAPS would make a statement; he said he expected that to be "next month".

In 2001 Roebuck received a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to common assault for caning three young South African cricketers he had been coaching. ''Obviously I misjudged the mood and that was my mistake and my responsibility, and I accept that,'' he'd said at the time.

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 focused on domestic cricket, on a panel led by the national selector John Inverarity and the Australia captain Michael Clarke. The national coach, yet to be named, will also be a selector.

As a relatively recent retiree from the game, Bichel brings a fresher outlook and also the perspective of a pace bowler to the panel, widely considered to be lacking in a diversity of viewpoints last summer when it was comprised of former top order batsmen in the chairman Andrew Hilditch, Jamie Cox, Greg Chappell and David Boon.

He has also taken a range of coaching positions since his exit from the game as a bowler, coaching Papua New Guinea and also serving as Chennai's bowling coach in the IPL.

"I'm looking forward to making a real contribution to game I love," Bichel said. "Over the last 20 years of international, state and county cricket, I've developed knowledge of the game that will assist me in this role. I've stayed close to the game and have been bowling coach to the Chennai Super Kings recently and have seen a lot of developing Australian talent perform in that competition.

"I'm really looking forward to working with John, Rod, Michael, Cameron and the incoming head coach as we continue to take Australian cricket in the right direction. I think over the last little period we've been on the right pathway and we'll be looking to identify the talent that will allow Australia to rise back up the rankings."

Marsh's inclusion on the panel in a part-time capacity is a logical conclusion to discussions with CA that began in mid-year, as he expressed a willingness to take part in the regeneration of the national team.

In addition to his long tenure behind the stumps for Australia, Marsh was much acclaimed for his work at the Cricket Academy in the 1990s, and also oversaw England's revival as a force in world cricket leading up to the 2005 Ashes series. He has since held positions with South Australia and also the ICC global academy in Dubai.

"I'm excited to be back working for Cricket Australia," Marsh said. "It's been a decade since I last worked for CA. Certainly, the most rewarding time I ever had was working with CA at the Academy in Adelaide. This is an important role and I'm looking forward to watching young Australian cricketers develop and to our established cricketers continuing to improve."

Importantly, Marsh and Inverarity have a strong and long-lasting cricketing association that dates back to the West Australian state teams of the 1970s.

Inverarity was Marsh's predecessor as captain of the state during a highly successful era, and will again serve as the senior man four decades later on a panel that will need to make plenty of strong decisions over the next few summers, starting with the composition of the team for the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba from December 1-5.

Inverarity is due to start his new role as national selector on November 14. His first act will be to fly to South Africa.

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 98 was not accompanied by enough support on a pitch that had started to deteriorate.

Simon Katich was again a stand-out for NSW with the ball, claiming 3-29 while the rest of the wickets were shared by the rest. Josh Hazlewood bowled well to return 2-21 from 11 overs,

Falling 208 short of the home side's total, SA were sent in again and reached 1 for 59 when rain brought the early close, Ben Dougall completing a nondescript debut when he was out for 14 to the bowling of Mitchell Starc.

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 that became Amir's second home from the age of 11, where he would live for long stretches with Bajwa looking after him.

"It was the team management's responsibility to take care of him," Bajwa told ESPNcricinfo. "They should have taken a strict stance but the culture is very lenient and unprofessional. Why couldn't they shut out those elements that tempted our cricketers?

"I brought up him up but he was distracted only after entering the international arena, where he didn't find the right people around him. They [the PCB] wanted a cricketer to represent Pakistan - we gave them one. But now who is responsible? Who is to be blame? He was a player with extraordinary cricketing skills but he was very naïve ... the board should have taken care of the other elements."

Bajwa said he had been in contact with Amir during the spot-fixing trial. "My interaction with Amir until Wednesday was very emotional, he sounded helpless and insisted that he wanted one more chance - everyone deserves a second chance. He apologised to me, and I promised him that I'd help him to eventually return to the game. It's a challenge for me to rebuild his reputation, but I will be doing that. It's a challenge to remove a stigma, as our society is very cruel, but I believe he will be back."

On Thursday, Amir was sentenced to six months in a young offenders' detention centre for his role in the spot-fixing case; the rules suggest he can be out in three months' time on good behaviour. His former team-mates Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, and their agent Mazhar Majeed, were sent to jail for terms ranging from a year to 32 months.

In his remarks while handing out the sentence, Justice Cooke noted Amir's background - he comes from a village near Islamabad where his father was a watchman in a government school. Compared to his fellow convicts, he was found to be unsophisticated, uneducated and impressionable.

"An 18-year-old from a poverty-stricken village background, very different to your own privileged one, who, whilst a very talented bowler, would be inclined to do what his senior players and particularly his captain told him, especially when told there was money in it for him and this was part of the common culture. For an impressionable youngster, not long in the team to stand out against the blandishments of his captain would have been hard," the judge said.

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 No.2-ranked bowler Asif, who was sentenced to a year in prison on Thursday for his part in the spot-fixing conspiracy, revealed to ESPNcricinfo that Asif is likely to be moved by the end of next week. A call was made to the solicitors of Salman Butt but they did not confirm or deny whether this was also true for their client.

Asif is currently being imprisoned at the high-security jail in Wandsworth, along with his former captain and co-conspirator Butt. It could not be confirmed if agent Mazhar Majeed was also at the same prison. Teenager Mohammad Amir is thought to be at Feltham Young Offenders Institution, which has a reputation for being a harsh environment for inmates.

"I have only spoken to Asif a couple of times on the phone, I haven't been able to visit him just yet, but he has been told he will be moved to an open prison and that should happen within the next five to seven days," the friend told ESPNcricinfo.

The British prison system is divided into four categories A-D, with A being for criminals who are considered a danger to the public or national security. D category is for prisoners who are not considered a risk to society and not expected to attempt escape. They are also likely to have more privileges like being able to wander around the grounds when they wish and have free access to the internet and other leisure options.

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. © AFP

India take on the Caribbean side in the first of the three Tests from Sunday in Delhi - their first five-day assignment after the 0-4 thrashing at the hands of England in July-August.
"India can use this series to come up with the right combination and balance. This tour will help them regain the lost confidence after the thrashing in England. The team can possibly blood in new players, who could be used Down Under," Akram told a website.
However, Akram sees no reason why off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been left out of the side for the first Test.
"I can't understand why Harbhajan is out. Players should be picked in the squad keeping long-term plans in mind and Bhajji certainly fits the bill. He has been dropped after just one bad series in England, which I think is unfair because he is only 31," said Akram.
"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," he quipped.
Speaking on the composition of the visitors, Akram felt Chris Gayle's axing would prove to be very costly for the West Indies.
"There is clearly a communication gap and a clash of egos between both parties. It should be solved for the good and Gayle should give priority to his country. West Indies is certainly bigger than Chris Gayle," he said.

PTI

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 in 1999-2000 series, in which Cronje is said to have accepted money from a bookmaker for making an early declaration, Hussain said he was naive at that time to have thought that he'd set up a historic run-chase.
"It's common knowledge now that Hansie Cronje needed to ensure a positive result on the last day of the Centurion Test in 1999-2000, when I was captain of England. I might have been a bit naive back then, when I thought I'd helped set up a historic run-chase that was for the good of the game.
"But I'm not naive enough to have spent the last few years with my head in the clouds believing that everything else during my time was completely clean," Hussain wrote in his column in Daily Mail.
The Centurion Test was ruined by rain. Entering the final day only 45 overs had been possible, with South Africa on 155/6. On the final morning as they batted on, news came in that the captains had met and were going to "make a game of it."
A target of 250 from 70 overs was agreed. When the Proteas reached 248/8, Cronje declared, and both teams then forfeited an innings that left England a target of 249 to win.
They did it with two wickets and five balls remaining.
England's victory ended South Africa's 14-game unbeaten streak in Test cricket.
Citing the Karachi Test when England knocked off the runs in dark to beat Pakistan 1-0, Hussain recollected, "Of course, you look at the scorecard and Pakistan's collapse on the last afternoon of a Test that appeared to be heading for a draw does not look too clever. But if they threw that match, then they must have been sensational actors."
"I can still remember the way the Pakistanis tried to slow down the over-rate in the hope that bad light would come to their rescue as we chased 176 in 44 overs."

PTI

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 at times might have helped the offenders go scot free. © Getty Images

The veteran administrator said that though the ASCU was adequately resourced in his time, they had to work in accordance with the legal system of each country.
The investigators had to pass on tip-offs about corrupt activity to local police, who had more wide-ranging powers, the 63-year-old said.
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 at times might have helped the offenders go scot free.
Interestingly, it was the sting orchestrated by the now defunct News of the World journalist Mazhar Mehmood which resulted in the three disgraced Pakistan cricketers going to prison.
"Comment has been made that the anti-corruption unit couldn't catch these guys - it was up to the (News of the World) journalist to do that - but I think in this area you take what is given to you, the journalist was able to spring this trap, cricket has been able to take hold of that and impose lengthy bans on these players," Speed was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.
The former world cricket boss believes the jail term for former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir will act as a deterrent for others.
Speed has long advocated prison terms as part of consistent laws dealing with sports betting and match-fixing in Australia.
Earlier, while sentencing the tainted cricketers, Justice Jeremy Cooke had said it was up to the governing body to discover how far the rot had spread.

PTI

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," BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said. © BCCI

The Cricket Board had rejected the bill at its Working Committee meeting in Kolkata on October 29, saying certain aspects of the bill are meant to "destroy the autonomy" of the board.
"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," BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale had said in a statement after the Board's Working Committee meeting.
"Therefore the Board is totally opposed to this Bill and will be communicating its objections to the Ministry of Youth Affairs & shortly."
The BCCI on Friday shot off a 29-page letter to the sports minister Ajay Maken, giving in detail their reasons for objecting the bill which seeks to regulate the functioning of sports bodies.
According to sources, the strongly-worded letter takes a dig at the Sports Ministry for trying to bring cricket under its ambit.
The letter points out that the BCCI was not required to be brought under RTI as it was transparent and its accounts were put up on its website. It also followed the tenure and age restrictions as envisaged in the bill with all the office bearers having limited tenures.
"It has to be borne in mind that "Sports" is a State subject and the legislative competence of Central Government is limited. The bill tends to encroach upon fundamental rights of Sports bodies," Jagdale had said.
Relations between the BCCI and sports ministry have been strained over the contentious issue.
BCCI, which is an autonomous body, and some other sports organisations such as Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have opposed the legislation. The IOA had in fact termed the revised bill a "cruel joke".
The bill was revised after the cabinet did not give its approval.
The proposed bill wants to give BCCI the status of a National Sports Federation and therefore bring it under the purview of the RTI Act.

PTI

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 was "necessary" to make the game corruption free. © AFP

"This punishment was necessary to purge cricket of corruption," Wadekar said while inaugurating a tournament organised by Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy.
"Even if there are a few dishonest players, cricket is still a game of gentlemen," he said.
A criminal court in London on Thursday, sentenced jail terms to former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir after finding them guilty of spot-fixing a Test at Lord's last year.
Asked Wadekar to comment between cricket legend Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar, he said "There cannot be any comparison between the two. Both were great during their own time."
About Tendulkar's impending 100th international century, Wadekar said, "Sachin will reach the 100th international century during the West Indies series. And I will be happy if he gets it in Mumbai."
Meanwhile, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) on Friday removed the jersey of Butt which was kept inside its indoor coaching centre near Dr BC Roy club house, a CAB source said.

PTI

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 sentence and his fellow fast bowler Mohammad Amir six months. Mazhar Majeed, the players' agent, has been sentenced to two years and eight months.

They will serve half the time in custody and then be released on licence, with conditions which, if broken, would see them back in detention for the remainder of their term.

The four men had been charged with conspiracy to accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat in regard to the Lord's Test against England in August 2010, when the three pre-determined no-balls were bowled - two by Amir and one by Asif, orchestrated by Butt and arranged by Majeed. While Amir and Majeed had pleaded guilty before the trial began, Butt and Asif denied the charges and were found guilty by a jury on Tuesday.

The sentences were handed down in Southwark Crown Court on Thursday morning - the 22nd day of the trial - by Justice Cooke, who prefaced the quantum of punishment with some stinging remarks on the four convicted men and a sobering reminder on the legacy of their actions on the sport itself. He also made clear to Majeed and Amir that their sentences had been reduced - from four years and nine months, respectively - because they had pleaded guilty, and told all the players that the bans imposed by the ICC had also had a mitigating effect.

The incarceration began immediately, with the players - who had all come to court with bags - driven away in prison vans after leaving a courtroom packed beyond capacity. Amir will not be sent to jail but to a young offenders' detention centre.

In the aftermath of the sentencing process, while TV crews hovered outside the courthouse, the one main area of debate was what would happen with regards to appeals. Butt's solicitor Paul Harris confirmed on the entrance steps of the courthouse that his team would be lodging an appeal "in the next 24 hours".

Amir's team met with the judge behind closed doors immediately, and grounds for appeal were rejected then, which is apparently normal practice as the sentencing judge is hardly going to admit his punishment was incorrect minutes after meting it out. They are, though, awaiting further clearance, probably in the next 24 hours, which will allow them to lodge an appeal.

Majeed and Asif's legal representatives are yet to announce appeal plans though these are expected soon. There is no suggestion that any of the quartet are seeking bail, while awaiting appeals.

The PCB called it a "sad day" for Pakistan cricket. "Instead of having pride in playing for their country, these players chose to disappoint their supporters, damage the image of their country and bring the noble game of cricket into disrepute. There is little sympathy in Pakistan for the sorry pass they have come to."

In Lahore, the families of the convicted players were stunned by the sentences. Amir's father said the Pakistan government should have helped his son. His brother Saleem said: "He is a kid, he can't understand things. These six months are a lot for a boy who is immature."

Butt's father Zulfiqar was more aggressive, saying his son was innocent. "Our own friends conspired against us," he said. "You can check our bank balance, we haven't even been able to build our own house."

The judge began the day's proceedings proceedings with his summation of the case of each of the four found guilty, reading out their sentences one at a time, and his initial words suggested jail terms for all four guilty.

"Now, when people look back at a surprising event in a game or a surprising result or ever in the future there are surprising results, followers of the game who have paid to watch cricket or who have watched cricket on TV will wonder whether there has been a fix or what they have watched was natural."

Cooke had harsh words for Butt, whom he called "the orchestrator of these matters...you had to be to make sure these two bowlers were bowling at the time of the fix." Butt's leadership status, he said, made him more culpable than his bowlers.

He specifically mentioned Butt's role in involving Amir in the corruption. "An 18 year old from a poverty stricken village background, very different to your own privileged one, who, whilst a very talented bowler, would be inclined to do what his senior players and particularly his captain told him, especially when told there was money in it for him and this was part of the common culture. For an impressionable youngster, not long in the team to stand out against the blandishments of his captain would have been hard."

To Asif he said: "Whilst no money was found in your possession, it's clear that you conspired to bowl a no-ball. There's no evidence on your part of prior fixing but it's hard to see that this could have been an isolated incident."

For Amir there was praise for accepting his guilt and a re-assertion of Butt's influence on Amir but a refusal to accept the basis of his plea, that his only involvement in spot fixing was at Lord's on August 26 and 27 and that he only became involved as a result of pressure and threats to his career.

In this regard he referred to evidence, in the shape of texts and telephone calls with a Pakistani number, of Amir's involvement in discussions about fixing brackets at The Oval during the period of the indictment, though there was no evidence that such fixing actually occurred. That discussion, Justice Cooke noted, did not relate to Majeed.

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 Stars are at pains to suggest that no official deal has yet been struck, Warne's return to the Australian summer at the age of 42 was always likely to be for the team that will play its home matches at the MCG.

"We understand through Shane Warne's Management that he is still considering offers from several teams, including the Melbourne Stars," the Stars chief executive Clint Cooper said in a statement. "We anticipate a decision as to which team Shane will play for after detailed consideration of all offers within the next week."

Warne's manager, James Erskine, has said that there were plenty of considerations for any decision.

"He went out on the ultimate high in Australia, taking 700 wickets, winning the Ashes. He's as fit as he's ever been and he believes he is still one of the top spin bowlers in the world but he is 42 and realises if he plays there is a certain amount of hype and media attention that comes with that," Erskine told The Age.

"One of the advantages would be that his kids are now old enough to watch him play which they might not have been before. There is a plethora of things to weigh up."

Another former Australia spinner, Brad Hogg, has announced his participation in the BBL, signing on with the Perth Scorchers at the age of 40. Hogg retired from cricket in February 2008.

"I'm a WA boy and really looking forward to being part of the very first Perth Scorchers side for the KFC T20 Big Bash League," Hogg said. "I've been training hard and playing a bit of District cricket the past few years, and I would not be taking on this challenge if I didn't believe that I could have an impact for the Scorchers.

The Scorchers' coach, Mickey Arthur, described Hogg as a "three-in-one" player.

"Hoggy is another of what I would term a three-in-one cricketer as he offers us outstanding skills with the bat, the ball, and in the field," Arthur said. "Even though he turned 40 this year he has still been playing regularly and performing well at WACA District level, and the manner in which he plays and trains belies his age."

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 be involved in match-fixing, was encouraged and informed by cricket administrators, via the Coalition of Major Participation and Professional Sports (COMPPS), following the game's long and pained history of shady dealings between players and illegal bookmakers.

State attorneys-general are scheduled to meet in Hobart later this month to discuss the legislation, which was agreed to by the federal and state sports ministers at a Council of Australian Governments meeting in Brisbane June. Support for the legislation on both sides of politics should hasten its speedy progress into law.

There is a desire to have the legislation, which will need to pass through each state parliament, in place by the time football seasons commence for AFL and rugby league, well in advance of Cricket Austrlaia's preference for it to be in place in time for the 2015 World Cup.

In addition to the criminal legislation, proposed measures to outlaw the manipulation of matches include the introduction of formal integrity agreements between sporting bodies and betting firms, while the federal government will oversee the formation of a national sports integrity office.

The office will be responsible for formulating integrity agreements and codes of conduct for a wide range of sports. Any electing not to co-operate will face the loss of government funding.

Pakistan's government is also considering the introduction of similar legislation, and the ICC's chief executive Haroon Lorgat has said sporting bodies needed the help of legislative oversight.

"A regulatory framework with appropriate laws to deal specifically with sports corruption is better than no legislation and is something that we would support," he said in June. "As a sporting body, our code - and our mandate - covers only players, officials and other support personnel. We are not a law-enforcement agency, so if there are ways in which nations' legislative framework can help us to maintain cricket's integrity then naturally we would encourage and support that."

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 investment Ford has made in the sport at both domestic and international levels," Justin Vaughan, NZC chief executive, said. "To be able to link the highly regarded Ford name to our one-day competition - which has a rich tradition of developing our best players - further strengthens that partnership."

The first match of the Ford Trophy for the 2011-12 season will be played on November 25, with the final scheduled for February 12, 2012.

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 then. The convictions - reached by the jury of the Southwark Crown Court in London after 16 hours and 56 minutes of debate - carry jail terms - a maximum prison sentence for the acceptance of corrupt payments is seven years in jail, while 'conspiracy to cheat' carries a maximum two-year sentence.

On a historic day for cricket, the world also learnt that Mohammad Amir, the teenage Pakistani fast bowler, had pleaded guilty to the same two charges before the trial began; he will now be given a "Newton Hearing" to decide the quantum of punishment, during which there will be no jury officially present, although they have been given permission to sit in and watch if they wish.

It also emerged that the ACSU was set to investigate more matches on Pakistan's tour of England in 2010, when the incidents central to this case took place.

This particular case focussed on the Lord's Test in August 2010, when Butt and Asif conspired with Majeed, Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-determined no-balls during England's innings. They were exposed by the now defunct British tabloid the News of the World in an undercover sting operation. Majeed was filmed revealing when no-balls would be delivered by the bowlers, footage which was played to the jury early in the trial.

The verdicts were handed in almost four weeks after the trial started, on October 4. Butt, wearing a velvet jacket and shirt without a tie, showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out and stared at the jury stony-faced. An hour earlier, in a bitter twist of fate, his wife Gul Hassan was understood to have given birth to a second son back in Pakistan. Asif, wearing a grey winter coat in the dock, was equally unmoved and neither player said a word or made any obvious facial expression.

The jury were unable to reach a verdict on the "accepting corrupt payments" charge against Asif, and Justice Cooke immediately retired them to deliberate some more in case they could reach a verdict on that fourth charge, which they did after more than three hours.

The unambiguous nature of the verdict was welcomed by the Metropolitan Police. "All I want to say that this is cheating pure and simple," said Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Horne. "They let down everyone that bought a ticket and they let down children when they were role models to those very children who are playing such a special game. I think we all look forward to this game being played in its truest spirit as we go forward from these types of issues. I also acknowledge the role that investigative journalism has played in this case."

Sally Walsh, Senior Lawyer in the Special Crime and Counter-Terrorism Division of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif deliberately and knowingly perverted the course of a cricket match for financial gain... This prosecution shows that match fixing is not just unsportsmanlike but is a serious criminal act.

"People who had paid good money to see a professional and exciting game of cricket on the famous ground at Lord's had no idea that what they were watching was not a true game but one where part of the game had been pre-determined for cash...the jury has decided after hearing all the evidence that what happened on the crease that day was criminal in the true sense of the word."

The players have already been punished by the ICC after a disciplinary hearing in Doha, Qatar, earlier this year. Each was banned from the sport for at least five years. Butt received a further suspended five-year ban and Asif was handed a further two-year suspended sanction.

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said after the London verdicts were announced that the jury's decisions, as well as Mohammad Amir's own guilty plea, will "have no impact" on the length of the suspensions its own tribunal handed out.

All three players have filed appeals against their bans at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

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 India squad for the home Test series against West Indies. Yuvraj, who has not enjoyed the same success in the longer format as he has in ODIs, said he wanted to rejuvenate his Test career.

"It's the right time to focus on my Test career," he told PTI. "I want to be remembered as a good batsman in the longer format of the game. I have always tried to give my best shot whenever on the field but unfortunately injury issues were there. In the upcoming series against West Indies and Australia, I want to score big and make a mark in the Test format. I want to restructure my Test career and I'll raise the bar this time."

The 35 Tests Yuvraj has featured in have been played over eight years. For a large part of his career, he was kept out of the Test side by a strong middle order that included Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Once Ganguly retired, he was given an extended run in the side but couldn't cement his place. He fell ill before the second Test in Sri Lanka in 2010, and a century from Suresh Raina on debut in that game meant Yuvraj was once again relegated to the sidelines. His Man-of-the-Series performance in the 2011 World Cup put him back in contention for a Test place, but an injury kept him out of the tour to the West Indies and his series in England was cut short by the finger injury.

Yuvraj said his Test career had been blighted by the number of injuries he has had but he still had time to change things. "My best years are yet to come. After a long injury layoff, I am fully fit and raring to go. My career has been marred by a lot of injury issues but I think it's on the right path now. After coming back from England, I trained hard. My body has taken a beating in the past year but there are no more injuries now."

The first Test between India and West Indies starts on November 6 in Delhi, and Yuvraj could be in a contest with Virat Kohli for a place in India's middle order.