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No play was possible on the second day between England and West Indies at Chester-le-Street, as persistent rain settled in over the ground to force an abandonment shortly after an inspection at 4pm

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller15-May-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentaryA dank scene at Chester-le-Street•Getty ImagesNo play was possible on the second day between England and West Indies at Chester-le-Street, as persistent rain settled in over the ground to force an abandonment shortly after an inspection at 4pm.The wash-out meant that England were unable to build on their comfortable overnight position of 302 for 2, with Alastair Cook remaining unbeaten on 126 not out, 13 runs short of equalling his highest score in Test cricket.The miserable weather heightened the sense of gloom that has accompanied this match, after only 3000 of a possible 17,000 tickets were sold in advance of the first day’s play – the lowest gate at a Test match in England in modern times.As a concession to the few fans who did turn up to watch the rain fall, Durham announced that all ticket-holders for the second day’s play would be given free entry for any day of their choice for the remainder of the match.””Obviously we are disappointed that the rain has prevented any play,” said Durham’s chief executive, David Harker. “We would like to offer the spectators that have missed out today the opportunity to come along on any of the remaining days as a gesture of goodwill. We hope that they can take advantage of the offer and help us support England for the rest of the match.”

Persistent Cape Town rains made sure that Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders didn’t get on the park for their match

Cricinfo staff25-Apr-2009
Persistent Cape Town rains made sure that Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders didn’t get onto the park for their match. The rain was intermittent all day, and the umpires decided to call it off close to three hours after the scheduled start. Both teams will now share a point.Incidentally this is the third IPL game to be washed out without a ball being bowled. The first was at the Feroz Shah Kotla between the hosts Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata last May, and the second was between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians earlier this season.Chennai and Kolkata would have started the game level at two points, and they now have three points each, from four matches each.

The much-delayed and much-objected budgets of the PCB from 2007-08 and 2009-10 have finally been approved by the board of governors

Cricinfo staff08-Nov-2009The much-delayed and much-objected budgets of the PCB from 2007-08 and 2009-10 have finally been approved by the board of governors. The budget for the current year was approved after a four-month delay – it should’ve been approved by July 1 – amounting to, according to reports, roughly Rs1.5 billion.Wazir Ali Khoja, a member of the governing board, told reporters after the meeting in Lahore that the budget had been approved and that one from 2007-08 had also been given conditional approval. That budget, from the administration of Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the board before Ijaz Butt, had been the subject of much scrutiny and objection. One believed to be among them is the alleged substantial golden handshake payment made to Inzamam-ul-Haq upon his retirement from Test cricket in October 2007.But the budget had to be passed, with some conditions to rectify the objections, because grant payments from the ICC would not otherwise be released to Pakistan – or any member nation – unless the budget had been given approval by the governing body.Butt, who was a governing board member himself under Ashraf, had raised objections to the budget even then, though the issue was never satisfactorily resolved.

There were two clear differences in the Indian team’s approach from the Twenty20 internationals, and both come down to clear thinking. First Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the highest run-getter ODIs for over a year, batted higher up in the order

Sidharth Monga in Napier03-Mar-2009
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s promotion up the order proved an immediate success © Getty Images
There were two clear differences in the Indian team’s approach from the Twenty20 internationals, and both come down to clear thinking. First Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the best batsman in ODIs for over a year, batted higher up the order. Second, it was Praveen Kumar, a specialist bowler, opening in the absence of Ishant Sharma, and in place of Irfan Pathan, who on current form is neither here nor there. Both should have occurred long ago, and both paid off today.Dhoni will have to play, by choice, the role Brendon McCullum played for New Zealand in the Twenty20s by default, as a result of what he felt was mediocre form. The task involves swallowing the batsman’s ego, and McCullum did that perfectly in the first two games. Nudging and edging he kept one end up, allowing the other big hitters to make merry. This Indian team has two obvious candidates for that role now – Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, and to an extent Gautam Gambhir. It’s not a question of form, but they have shown the aptitude, and the team needs at least two such batsmen to allow the likes of Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina have a free hand.After Tendulkar had performed that role in the first 10 overs, Dhoni walked out to bat. It is quite possible that either Yuvraj or Raina would have come out had the first wicket been Sehwag’s. Dhoni didn’t find the going comfortable, especially against the canny spin of Daniel Vettori, but that wasn’t the point. The important thing was he chose to look ungainly and stay in the middle, turning the strike over, rather than trying to hit out.”You have to capitalise on a good or decent start,” Dhoni said. “If I go in early I can look to stay till the end so that Suresh Raina, Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan can play their natural game. It gives us an opportunity to score a par-plus score without really thinking of playing aggressive game, just the natural game.”Sehwag and Raina found the license, and both played sublime innings. Dhoni contributed 22 to a 52-run partnership with Sehwag, and 43 to a 110-run stand with Raina. “I feel it is all about partnerships and not who is scoring,” Dhoni said. “If you are the skipper or a team-man it doesn’t matter who is scoring in the partnership. If you have a 50-run partnership in 60 balls, you should be happy. Doesn’t matter if Yuvraj has scored 40 and I have scored 10.”Viru was the leader when it came to partnerships, he scored at ample pace, giving me time to play extra deliveries and get used to conditions. Raina was brilliant. He came at a time that was tricky for him – whether to look for the big shots or get himself in. He went by instinct and that’s good. He could have got out and would have looked really ugly, but we want individuals to play their natural game.”It was Dhoni who let the other individuals play their natural game today. Once he was in, the top-spin whiplash out of the block hole – a shot unique to him – also came out, providing the acceleration towards the end. Dhoni may have scored 84, but around him 204 runs were added.Dhoni didn’t surprise with a cool-headed innings, but his aversion to playing Praveen in Twenty20s has been a bit of a surprise. It definitely has something to do with Irfan’s batting, and Dhoni has admitted he wants more batting depth in the Twenty20s. But Praveen – an average of 28.73 and an economy-rate of 4.73 in ODIs – is the bird in hand, Irfan on current form is two in the bush.It helped that India brought in two medium-pacers – Praveen and Munaf Patel – after Ishant’s injury. It would have prompted Praveen to think he didn’t come in just because of the injury, but that he was wanted in the XI. Against England, in the home ODIs, he wasn’t picked. When he came back, for the ODIs in Sri Lanka, he took five wickets in three matches, and gave away runs at 4.15 an over in a high-scoring series which India won 4-1.Praveen scores over Irfan with his ability to bowl seam and swing the ball; Irfan mainly relies on the latter. Both of Praveen’s assets were on display tonight. In the first over he bowled – a wicket-maiden – he troubled McCullum with movement in to him as well as away. He surprised Jesse Ryder with sharp pace and movement, before getting him with one that went away with the angle. At that point, Praveen’s figures read 3.4-1-8-2. The required run-rate had crossed eight.What may also worry Dhoni about Praveen is he is not as effective with the old ball. Praveen’s next 14 balls went for 20 runs. “We need to figure out the third-seamer department,” Dhoni said. “The ball stops doing much, and assisting the seamers, and that’s the time you need someone who is street-smart and someone who can utilise slower balls and bouncers to get around it.”Praveen has brought in a lot of canniness to his bowling since his international debut, but he has some way to go before he is fit for what Dhoni is looking for, especially with the old ball.

Pakistan police have arrested and charged former cricketer and national team fielding coach Ijaz Ahmed with alleged forgery on Thursday

Cricinfo staff26-Mar-2009Former Pakistan cricketer and national team fielding coach Ijaz Ahmed has said he is innocent and has vowed to defend himself in court after being arrested for allegedly issuing false cheques to a client. He was due to appear in a court in Lahore on Friday but was taken to hospital after his health deteriorated.”I have not done anything wrong,” Ijaz told . “The police have mistreated me and I am in hospital after an attack of asthma. I will defend myself in the court once my condition gets stable. I vomited blood and experienced difficulty in breathing, so doctors put me on artificial respiratory system for sometime.”It has been very frustrating because I have not done anything wrong. These clients owe me money and instead they made a false case against me.”Pakistan police on Thursday had arrested and charged Ijaz Ahmed with alleged forgery. Police officials at the Gulberg police station in Lahore said two property dealers had filed a complaint against Ijaz, 40, for issuing them cheques that had bounced.The value of the cheques is reportedly Rs 10.05 million (approximately US$1.3 million). “This is a land scam case under which Ijaz was on bail. His bail expired on Thursday and we arrested him on charges of giving false cheques to a business party,” police official Rana Jabbar said.However, former Pakistan captain Saleem Malik, who is also Ijaz’s brother-in-law, denied that his former team-mate had committed any wrongdoing. “The truth is that these property dealers owe money to Ijaz and they have registered a false case against him,” Malik told .Ijaz played 60 Tests and 250 ODIs and was a member of the Pakistan team that won the 1992 World Cup. Following his retirement from international cricket, he had been working as the fielding coach of the national team for the last few months. Previously, he was on the selection committee and had also served as senior coach at the National Cricket Academy.

Two days after seemingly calling time on Shoaib Akhtar’s international future, Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has backtracked on his views that Pakistan needs to “move on” beyond the fast bowler, who lacked commitment during Pakistan’s 129-run defeat to Sr

Osman Samiuddin in Lahore23-Jan-2009
Shoaib Malik: “He is the same Shoaib [Akhtar] who used to run through batting line-ups in one spell of bowling” © AFP
Two days after seemingly calling time on Shoaib Akhtar’s international future, Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has backtracked on his views that the team needed to “move on” beyond the fast bowler, who lacked commitment during their 129-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the second ODI at Karachi.Malik had called into question Shoaib’s commitment in the field and his fitness in maintaining speeds over ten overs. But ahead of the final ODI in Lahore, Malik surprisingly denied he had singled out anyone.”I don’t get personal against anyone,” he said. “I don’t think I named anyone individually. I definitely spoke about whoever could not field for 50 overs. It could be me or anyone who is selected in the 15-man squad.”Malik acknowledged that Shoaib’s lengthy absence from international cricket – he got his first taste of one-day cricket in 14 months during the two games in Karachi – had played a part in his sluggishness. Shoaib, who bowled only 13 overs, conceding 88 runs and taking only one wicket, also looked limited while fielding.”He is definitely struggling to get back into rhythm after spending so much time on the sidelines,” said Malik. “But he is the same Shoaib who used to run through batting line-ups in one spell of bowling.”Cricinfo has learnt that Malik’s initial comments had the backing of members of the team management. In discussions thereafter, with the management and selectors, Malik is said to have once again made clear his original views on Shoaib’s commitment.However, it is believed that senior board officials have chided Malik for his comments during the middle of a series, which would explain the subsequent backtracking in Lahore.Shoaib has so far refused to respond to the statements but appeared jovial during training before the series decider, joking with Muttiah Muralitharan and reporters.

The Pakistan Cricket Board is confident its one-day series with Australia will proceed in April, with a schedule to be released later this week

Alex Brown04-Feb-2009
Ijaz Butt: “I think the series will be going ahead” © AFP
The Pakistan Cricket Board is confident its one-day series with Australia will proceed in April, with a schedule to be released later this week. Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, met with Cricket Australia officials in Melbourne on Wednesday to discuss the contest, which is likely to be held after Australia’s tour of South Africa.The series is certain to be played at neutral venues – perhaps split between Abu Dhabi and Dubai – and will probably consist of five one-day and two Twenty20 internationals. Butt, who was a guest of Cricket Australia at the Allan Border Medal on Tuesday, said he would release further details upon his return to Pakistan on Friday.”I think the series will be going ahead,” he said. It will be the first time Australia have played Pakistan in an away bilateral series since the three Tests in 2002, which were staged in Colombo and Sharjah.Australia were due in the country for Test and limited-overs contests last year but they were postponed due to safety and security concerns. The series in Pakistan will severely limit the availability of Australia’s one-day players from participating in the second Indian Premier League.

Celtic defender and Leeds United target Leo Hjelde’s representatives were ‘mightily unimpressed’ with the Hoops as to how they dealt with Kristoffer Ajer’s situation this summer, according to The Cynic Wolf.

The Lowdown: Ajer’s move

Ajer made his intentions clear when it came to leaving Celtic Park at the beginning of the window.

The Hoops then rejected two £10m bids for the centre-back from Bayer Leverkusen and Norwich City, which left Ajer unhappy.

Celtic eventually cashed in on the Norwegian, with Brentford paying just over £14m for his services.

However, the way Celtic dealt with Ajer’s situation appears to have played a role in his fellow countryman, Hjelde, and his Parkhead future.

The Latest: Hjelde’s reps unimpressed

Hjelde looks set to leave Celtic for Leeds United after the two clubs agreed on a fee, with personal terms already reached.

The Cynic Wolf, who reports for @90MinuteCynic, admitted the 17-year-old is ‘on his way’ to Elland Road, before adding some more details on the centre-back.

“I understand that people close to Hjelde were mightily unimpressed with the way Celtic handled Kristoffer Ajer’s current situation. With a year left on his contract, it is likely to have played a part in the player’s considerations around signing an extension.”

The Verdict: A future blow?

John Hughes tipped Hjelde to become ‘the next Virgil van Dijk’, so, in the long run, Hjelde’s Parkhead exit could be looked back on as a blow.

However, it appears as if the teenager and his representatives have had their eyes on a Celtic Park departure following Ajer’s transfer saga, so it doesn’t look like there was much Celtic could have done to extend the youngster’s deal beyond 2022.

Still a young player making no impact on the first-team, it is hard to begrudge Celtic cashing in if he has no intention of staying long-term.

In other news: Postecoglou closing in: Celtic now close to versatile right-midfielder for £3m. 

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a severe blow in their pursuit of Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez after Nerrazurri CEO Giuseppe Marotta signified that the Argentine will be staying at the Italian champions this summer. as per DAZN [via SportsMole].

The Lowdown: Speculation continues about Spurs’ attack

With just over a week until the summer transfer window closes, speculation is still rife regarding the future of Tottenham’s attacking options.

Harry Kane has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester City in recent weeks, but no such resolution has yet come to light with regards to his future [Daily Express].

The Lilywhites now look set to miss out on one prospective replacement for the England captain owing to recent developments from Italy.

The Latest: Martinez set to stay at Inter following Marotta comments

Speaking to Italian media, Marotta was quite bullish when talking about the chances of Martinez staying, stating: “Lautaro Martinez has decided to stay at Inter, he strongly wants to stay also with many clubs approaching us with official bids to sign Lautaro. We’re so proud.” [DAZN, via SportsMole].

He is expected to sign a contract extension at his current employers, with his current agreement set to expire in 2023.

Spurs have been heavily interested in the Argentina striker, with arch-rivals Arsenal also rumoured to have monitored his situation closely for the last few months [Daily Express].

The Verdict: Losing out on Martinez would be a bitter blow

This news will come as a bitter blow to the Tottenham hierarchy as they hunt high and low for avenues to improve their current roster.

The 24-year-old excelled for Inter last season, registering 30 goal contributions in 48 appearances across all competitions with 19 goals and 11 assists [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, his appetite to be at the focal point of offensive passages of play very much shone through, with the Bahia Blanca native amassing 2.9 shots per Serie A match across the campaign [WhoScored].

Once described as being ‘very complete’ by none other than illustrious international teammate Lionel Messi [Mundo Deportivo], it will come as a major disappointment to Spurs that the Inter marksman looks unlikely to pitch up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

In other news, Tottenham are interested in this Spain international

The Yorkshire batsman, Adam Lyth, has signed a new three-year contract with Yorkshire

Cricinfo staff07-Nov-2008The Yorkshire batsman, Adam Lyth, has signed a new three-year contract with Yorkshire.Lyth enjoyed an solid summer, cracking 645 Championship runs including his maiden first-class hundred – 132 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in July. Lyth will spend three months in South Australia this winter, playing grade cricket in Adelaide as part of the ECB’s Scholarship Programme, before rejoining the Yorkshire squad in the UAE for the pre-season tour.”It was always my dream to play cricket for Yorkshire. 2008 has gone really well for me and my challenge now is to continue the hard work into 2009 and beyond,” Lyth said. “I’m delighted to have signed a three-year deal as this is where I want to play my cricket and I think there are exciting times ahead for the club.”