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A round-up of the South Zone Inter-State T20 matches played on February 2, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2017A half-century from Vijay Shankar and an all-round performance from R Sathish propelled Tamil Nadu to a 37-run win against Andhra at the MRF Pachayappas ground. Having chosen to bat, Tamil Nadu moved to 101 for 4 courtesy useful contributions from their top order before Shankar (69 off 49 balls) and Sathish (32 not out off 14) combined to add 76 in just 41 balls to power Tamil Nadu to a total of 179 for 5.Sathish then dismissed both Andhra openers over the course of a tight four-over quota in which he only conceded 18 runs. Hanuma Vihari (37 off 34) and Ricky Bhui (61 off 44) revived Andhra with a 75-run third-wicket stand, but the asking rate was climbing steadily, and they needed 79 off 32 balls when Vihari fell. Andhra couldn’t keep up, and eventually finished on 142 for 6, with two of their last three wickets falling to run-outs.A stifling bowling display helped Karnataka defend 148 and hand Hyderabad their first defeat of the tournament at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. A 66-run opening stand between Tanmay Agarwal (22) and Akshath Reddy (42 off 32 balls) gave Hyderabad an excellent start to their chase, but they struggled to keep up with the required rate thereafter as the left-arm seamer S Aravind (3 for 25) and left-arm spinner J Suchith (2 for 18) struck regular blows. S Badrinath remained unbeaten on 37, but wickets fell steadily around him and he himself only managed three fours in a 31-ball innings as Hyderabad finished on 134 for 6.After they chose to bat, Karnataka’s innings was built around two significant contributions. Opener Mayank Agarwal made 65 off 55 balls, while their No. 5 Pavan Deshpande scored 32 off 24. The two added 63 for the fourth wicket after Karnataka had slipped to 49 for 3, and eventually set them up for a total of 148 for 7. Left-arm spinner Mehdi Hasan was Hyderabad’s most successful bowler with figures of 3 for 16.A three-wicket haul from the medium-pacer Basil Thampi and two wickets each from Jalaj Saxena and Raiphi Gomez helped Kerala bowl Goa out for 86 and beat them by nine wickets. Choosing to bat, Goa’s innings never got going, with only Swapnil Asnodkar (23) and Keenan Vaz (22) getting past 20. Their innings lasted only 18.4 overs.Kerala’s chase was even shorter, lasting only 7.5 overs. Vishnu Vinod plundered 35 off 13 balls in a 40-run opening stand with Mohammed Azharudeen (22*), who then finished the match in the company of Rohan Prem (24*).

The sentence will be backdated to October 16, 2019, when he was provisionally suspended by the ICC

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Apr-2021Qadeer Ahmed, the UAE medium pacer, has been banned for five years by the ICC for committing six breaches of the governing body’s anti-corruption code. Ahmed’s ban will be backdated to October 16, 2019, when he was provisionally suspended by the ICC along with his colleagues Mohammad Naveed and Shaiman Anwar, both of whom have since been handed eight-year bans.The ICC anti-corruption unit found 35-year-old Ahmed, who played 11 ODIs and ten T20Is between 2015 and 2019, guilty on counts that included failing to disclose approaches during two bilateral series the UAE played away in 2019. The first was in Zimbabwe in April, where Ahmed was offered AED 60,000-70,000 (US$ 16,000 to 19,000 approx) by the corruptors. Then, in August in Netherlands, Ahmed was again found to be in contact with corruptors, and the ACU subsequently suspended him just at the start of the 2019 World Cup qualifiers, held in Zimbabwe in October-November.The ICC said in a media statement on Wednesday that Ahmed had failed to disclose details of the approaches from corruptors, or that he provided inside information in August 2019 to a person, who had played with club cricket with him in the UAE.Related

• ICC bans Mehar Chhayakar for 14 years on corruption charges

• UAE wicketkeeper Ghulam Shabber banned for four years

• Former Sri Lanka Cricket performance analyst Sanath Jayasundara banned for corruption

• How Heath Streak was caught by the ICC investigators

• 'Mr X', who gave bitcoins to Streak, is Delhi's Deepak Agarwal

That person is understood to be Mehardeep Chhayakar, named “Mr Z” in the ACU findings, which were published by the ICC on Wednesday. Chhayakar knew Ahmed while playing domestic cricket in Ajman in the UAE.On Wednesday, the ICC also charged Chhayakar for breaching half a dozen counts of the anti-corruption code. He was charged for “attempting to contrive to fix aspects” of games in the Zimbabwe vs UAE series in April 2019 as well as at the Global T20 Canada league in 2019. Chhayakar was also charged with trying to “induce and/or solicit” a participant involved in both the Zimbabwe-UAE series as well as at the GT20 Canada. Chhayakar, who the ICC said has refused to cooperate with the investigation, has 14 days from April 15 (the day he was charged) to respond.Ahmed is originally from Pakistan, and has been there since leaving the UAE midway into the ACU investigation. Before that, Ahmed had attended two interviews with the ACU team, held on October 6 and 9, 2019. He would talk to the ACU team again in April 2020, before quitting midway through again.How was Ahmed approached?
Ahmed told the ACU that Chhayakar had been a “close associate” and he had helped him get into various teams in the UAE club circuit. In early 2019, Chhayakar told Ahmed he could help him get into one of the T10 franchises in a tournament scheduled for November 2019 in the UAE. To that end, Chhayakar put Ahmed in touch with a “Mr Y”, who ESPNcricinfo understands is Dinesh Talwar, who is on the ACU’s list of corruptors.”[Mr Z] [Chhayakar] had previously connected him with an individual named [Mr Y] [Talwar] (a known corrupter), on the basis that [Mr Y] might be able to get him into a T10 team which [Mr Y] was looking to buy into,” the ICC elaborated.Chhayakar and Talwar then made their first approach to Ahmed just as he was preparing to leave for Zimbabwe. “About a week to 10 days before Mr Khan [Ahmed] travelled to Zimbabwe in April 2019 to participate as a member of the UAE squad in the Zimbabwe v UAE series, [Mr Z] and [Mr Y] approached him and offered him 60,000-70,000 dirhams to “do bad bowling” in the Zimbabwe v UAE series. In particular, they asked him to give away 70/80 runs while bowling.”It could not be confirmed if Ahmed ended up receiving the money. Ahmed, the ACU found, continued to meet Chhayakar, who would contact him before a series or tournament. Ahmed then shared inside information, especially of bowling plans in case he was playing, from the series against the Netherlands.”He had provided Inside Information to [Mr Z], at [Mr Z]’s request, in August 2019, namely which overs he would be bowling if he played in the Netherlands v UAE series that month.”Ahmed agreed he was aware of the ACU rules that he had breached, as he failed to come clean about being approached, being offered money, and providing inside information to corruptors. However, the ICC said that Ahmed had questioned the timing of suspending members of the UAE team just prior to the World Cup qualifiers.”He questioned why the ACU had acted against members of the UAE team prior to the start of the ICC World T20 Qualifiers in October 2019 because if it had not, he said that the ACU would have been able to collect a lot of information about corruption (i.e. inferring that the ACU’s action in questioning members of the UAE team had disrupted planned corruption).”According to the ICC, Ahmed suddenly left for Pakistan on October 11, 2019 without the knowledge of either the ACU or the Emirates Cricket Board. The ACU did track Ahmed down and conducted another interview on April 18 last year. However, Ahmed “stopped the interview halfway through, stating that he had to go to work”. Subsequently, he “refused” to complete a rescheduled interview and said he would face the ICC anti-corruption tribunal instead.Last week, on April 14, Ahmed agreed to all the ACU sanctions without facing the tribunal.Alex Marshall, general manager of the ICC’s integrity unit, said in a statement, “He [Ahmed] has accepted he did wrong and requested an agreed sanction in place of a Tribunal. His five-year period of ineligibility is a reflection of the seriousness of his breaches and the number of charges. He has accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed regret for those he has let down.”

Legends of Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain and Mohammad Mithun have been handed one-match bans each for their misconduct with the umpires during their DPL match against Kalabagan Krira Chakra

Mohammad Isam03-Jun-2016Legends of Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Mithun have been suspended for one match each on account of their misconduct with the umpires during their Dhaka Premier League match against Kalabagan Krira Chakra in Fatullah on May 30.The incident in question occurred when Alauddin Babu, Rupganj’s No. 8, had completed two runs before Mashrafe Mortaza’s throw escaped for four overthrows. However, the umpires, Asadur Rahman and Rafiqul Islam John, awarded Babu only five runs and asked his partner at the time, Taijul Islam, to take strike.Coach Khaled Mashud, who was seen arguing with umpires at the end of the match, was fined Tk 20,000. So were Mosharraf and Mithun, and a Rupganj team official, Ahmed Rubel. The penalties were handed by Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis.Match referee Samiur Rahman told Bengali daily on Thursday that, “I had given Rupganj the four letters of suspension on the day of the match. But they didn’t receive them. So yesterday, I informed the umpires’ committee, which later asked the CCDM to take necessary action.”Mashud, however, claimed, “We were not given any letter about the suspensions or fines at the end of the game. They sent the letter to our office on Thursday evening. We haven’t been able to communicate with the CCDM today since it is the weekly holiday.”At the end of the game, I showed the match referee the footage of the overthrow after we had disputed the call at the end of the Rupganj innings. There was also a contentious leg-before decision during our innings.”

Mark Cosgrove’s courageous century and a defiant rearguard action from Rob Sayer and Richard Jones earned Leicestershire a draw and denied Derbyshire a first Championship win of the season

ECB Reporters Network15-Sep-2016
ScorecardMark Cosgrove made a century despite an injured hand (file photo)•Getty Images

Mark Cosgrove’s courageous century and a defiant rearguard action from Rob Sayer and Richard Jones earned Leicestershire a draw and denied Derbyshire a first Championship win of the season in the Division Two match at Derby.The Leicestershire skipper defied the pain of a damaged left hand to score 110 but looked destined to finish on the losing side when his team slipped to 242 for 8, chasing 347, with 23 overs left. But Sayer and Jones, who batted with a runner, denied Derbyshire, who used seven bowlers, to steer Leicestershire to 301 for 8.Any prospect of a Leicestershire victory looked remote when Palladino struck twice in the first three overs of a day which began with the ground shrouded in mist with the floodlights on.Angus Robson’s dismal run continued when he was caught behind down the leg side without scoring for the second time in the game which was his third consecutive duck and his fifth in 11 innings. Harry Dearden was promoted to No. 3 but scored only 2 before he edged low to first slip where Wayne Madsen took an excellent catch but that was Derbyshire’s last success until eight overs after lunch.Although Cosgrove was in considerable discomfort and took his left hand off the bat handle almost every ball, he was playing not only with great courage but also authority to put Leicestershire back in the contest.With Paul Horton also looking secure, Derbyshire were in danger of seeing the game slip away from them but Palladino made the breakthrough when he beat the opener’s forward defensive push to have him lbw. Horton was clearly unhappy with the decision but Neil Dexter joined Cosgrove to bat through the rest of the afternoon and at tea, another 149 were needed from 38 overs.It was Palladino who revived Derbyshire again when he angled one back into Dexter, who was lbw for 26, but the key wicket was Cosgrove who completed a memorable hundred, his fifth of the season, when he forced Callum Parkinson through the covers for his 15th four.He survived a rapid chance to Madsen at slip on 105 but made only five more before he drilled a drive to mid-off and showed his dismay by staying slumped over at the crease for several seconds before departing with an angry swish of his bat.Eckersley’s reaction after he was given out caught behind down the legside crossed from disappointment to dissent and, following the departures of Mark Pettini and Clint McKay, left Leicestershire with only survival to play for. They achieved that thanks to Sayer and Jones, who was dropped off his own bowling by Parkinson with eight overs left and which proved to be Derbyshire’s last chance.

Heat had been 6 for 77 before James Bazley lifted them to a defendable total

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff 01-Jan-2022Xavier Bartlett bounced back from final-over heartache to help Brisbane Heat to a confidence-boosting 14-run win over the Hobart Hurricanes.Bartlett took a career-best 4 for 30 after the Heat earlier posted 8 for 150 on the back of some late lusty hitting from allrounder James Bazley who top-scored in tricky Bellerive Oval conditions with an unbeaten 44 from 27 deliveries at No. 8.Bartlett struck two big blows early in the chase, getting rid of in-form opener Ben McDermott after his back-to-back hundreds and skipper Matthew Wade in the second over.He returned for the power surge in the 14th over to remove Tim David and D’Arcy Short, who departed off a top edge for a sluggish 27 from 38 balls. Bartlett had bowled the final over in Heat’s two-wicket loss to the Sydney Sixers on Wednesday, conceding a single off the last delivery in a game they should have won.Mujeeb Ur Rahman was outstanding in the middle overs, picking up Harry Brook and Peter Handscomb to finish with 3 for 20 at an economy rate of five runs per over. Hurricanes’ middle order struggled to pick his variations with Jordan Thompson bowled by a carrom ball from around the wicket.Lower-order batter Tom Rogers gave Hurricanes a glimmer of hope in the final few overs but his side finished short.It was an impressive win by Heat who were in a spot of bother at 2 for 16 at the end of the powerplay after being sent in and later 6 for 77.Heat skipper Jimmy Peirson, who has struggled for runs this tournament, was out for 5 in the second over when he edged Meredith to Wade.Bazley shared a crucial 42-run stand with Jack Wildermuth, who hit 28 from 21 deliveries after being brought in as an X-factor player, and also bowled four overs that went for just 20 runs.Rogers earlier starred with the ball for the Hurricanes with 2 for 15 from four overs, while quick Nathan Ellis took 3 for 41 including the big wicket of Chris Lynn.

Tom Fell has spoken in depth about the dangers of testicular cancer

Vithushan Ehantharajah17-Jun-2016Throughout the 2015 season, Tom Fell knew something was not right. On the field, he was fine: 1084 Championship runs scored, making him the youngest in Division One to achieve four figures. But off it, he was experiencing discomfort caused by a lump on his left testicle. He’d been complaining about it for quite a while, yet with the packed nature of the summer, coupled with being wary of wasting a doctor’s time, decided not to raise an alarm.It was only in October, once the season had finished, that he sought attention. Even then, it was a chance assessment with the Worcestershire club doctor, who was at New Road to give Fell’s flatmate Tom Kohler-Cadmore a check-up.Fell was due to fly out to Australia a week later for five months of grade cricket in Perth. Had he not been accompanying Kohler-Cadmore and decided, spur of the moment, to ask the doctor to analyse the lump, it could have been a lot worse. “It was very lucky that I got it checked when I did,” Fell said.Straightaway, the lump was identified as cancer and the operation was swift and, initially, deemed a success. Fell was given the all clear to go to Australia later that winter. While he had check-ups out there that showed no abnormalities, it was only when he returned to the UK in March and had a CT scan that a tiny spec was detected in a lymph node around his abdomen. He was going to require three cycles of chemotherapy.The doctors prepared him for the worst, running through the possible side-effects. As an otherwise healthy 22-year-old, he was able to do a bit of exercise around the bad days that occurred during each cycle.Thankfully, the therapy was a success, to such an extent that Fell has a clean bill of health – the testicular cancer no more likely to return in him that other healthy individuals. Had he not had the treatment, he would have had to have monthly check-ups with the constant fear that it may return. “I feel like I can get on with things now.””When I originally found the lump, it didn’t occur to me at all that it was cancer. That’s probably why I took so long to get it looked at. It’s something a lot of people are guilty of. People are often scared to go because they’re embarrassed it might be nothing or scared of what it might be.”It speaks volumes of Fell that the hardest thing for him during this time was telling his teammates he had cancer. “I knew how bad it was and what was going to happen. But as soon as you say the word cancer, people immediately fear the worst. It was difficult to tell my mates and teammates because you always feel a bit bad telling them, because you know they are going to react badly hearing the news. It’s not a nice feeling dumping that on your best mates.”The results of the scan that showed the small cancer in his lymph node came the day before he was due to fly out to Abu Dhabi for Worcestershire’s pre-season tour. He informed his director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, about the setback, then his flatmates, Kohler-Cadmore and George Rhodes (Steve’s son). He then sent a WhatsApp message to the Worcestershire team thread to inform his teammates of why he would not be flying out with them.It was on this preseason tour that the players started discussing a way to show their support not only to Fell but also Worcestershire’s scorer, Dawn Pugh, who is also battling cancer.Fell’s flatmates Kohler-Cadmore and George Rhodes, along with Joe Leach, represented the players in talks with CEO Tom Scott and Jon Graham, the club’s business development director, about putting on an event. With Scott and Graham in full support, the ECB were approached and backed the initiative. #Yell4Fell and the “Cricket v Cancer game” was formed.Taking inspiration from the McGrath Foundation Day and Cricket United, New Road will go yellow on Friday, July 1, for Worcestershire Rapids’ NatWest T20Blast match against Derbyshire. The Rapids will play in special edition yellow kit and supporters are encouraged to wear yellow or purchase t-shirts for a donation. The playing shirts will be auctioned off at the end of the match, with all proceeds split between various cancer charities.”We originally banded around the idea of a naked calendar,” says Leach. “Obviously that didn’t take off…””But we came home and all the lads were constantly chatting about what we could do. It was during one of our pre-season sessions at Kidderminster that we came up with the #Yell4Fell and the club have embraced it. I think it’s going to be an incredible day and a chance to show Felly and Dawn just how much support they have.”As well as #Yell4Fell, Kohler-Cadmore is playing the season with a shaved head in support of Fell and other cancer sufferers, to raise money for their cause. The support has, naturally, overwhelmed Fell. “To see so many acts of kindness, it really does make me feel so grateful.”It is heartening, too, that Fell’s biggest issue right now is big runs in the 2nd XI to get back into a first team that are excelling. “It’s looking pretty hard to get back in!” He says he feels in good order with the bat, as noted with a 72 against Northants 2nd XI at the end of May. “It’s just a case of being patient, not rushing things and scoring consistent runs.”Thankfully, he is able to move forward and, with the help of his teammates, family and friends, raise awareness to help fellow and future sufferers. Fell’s is a survival story to hold dear.

Tash Farrant stars in first ODI for seven years, but NZ lose tenth match in a row

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2021England Women 181 for 2 (Beaumont 71, Knight 67*) beat New Zealand Women 178 (Jensen 53, Halliday 50) by eight wicketsTammy Beaumont and Heather Knight produced a pair of fluent half-centuries at Hagley Oval, as England Women marked their first ODI in 437 days with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over New Zealand.Had it not been for the Covid outbreak, England’s defence of their 2017 World Cup title would have been well underway by now, but instead Knight’s team showed they have learned the lessons of a somewhat rusty loss in their final warm-up in Queenstown last week to reassert their credentials, and inflict on New Zealand a tenth consecutive ODI defeat – the worst losing streak in their history.In a one-sided contest, New Zealand chose to bat first but were rolled aside for 178 in 45.1 overs, with Hayley Jensen’s 53 from 58 balls at the top of the order being matched by an eye-catching 50 from 54 from the debutant Brooke Halliday at No. 7.Besides those contributions, however, there was very little substance to New Zealand’s innings, which was perhaps most notable for the return of Tash Farrant to England’s ODI line-up for her second 50-over appearance, almost seven-and-a-half years after her debut against West Indies in November 2013.Sharing the new ball with Katherine Brunt, Farrant impressed with figures of 2 for 31 in seven overs, with her early dismissal of Amy Satterthwaite for 3 undermining New Zealand’s hopes of a competitive total. Farrant then returned to extract Lea Tahuhu for 8 late in New Zealand’s innings.England’s wickets were shared around among their seven bowlers – a testament to how insubstantial New Zealand’s partnerships proved to be. Sophie Ecclestone was the only bowler to complete her full allocation, as she reached 100 international wickets with her haul of 2 for 31 in ten overs of left-arm spin.New Zealand’s reliance on the likes of Satterthwaite, Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr meant that their cheap dismissals, inside the first 27 overs of the innings, left the rest of the order caught in two mindsets as they attempted to chisel a decent score.Katey Martin dug in for 14 from 35 balls before falling victim to Knight, as no player besides the two half-centurions mustered more than Devine’s 16.England’s reply was brisk and to the point. Danni Wyatt fell in the eighth over, but not before 42 runs were on the board, while Beaumont had struck 11 fours in her innings of 71 before succumbing to Tahuhu, who appeared to compound New Zealand’s concerns when she limped off with a hamstring injury late in the game.Knight and Natalie Sciver then swept England to victory with few further alarms. New Zealand’s one saving grace was a competitive debut for their 16-year-old left-arm spinner Fran Jonas, who was not flattered by her maiden figures of 0 for 31 in five overs.”We probably had a bit of a wake-up call against New Zealand XI last week,” Beaumont said. “We needed to tighten up in some areas and certainly the bowlers came out and showed that today. Every single one of them bowled exceptionally well to keep New Zealand to 180, so they really impressed today.”

As teams stand for ‘moment of unity’ in seamer’s debut Test, ECB commits to ‘full investigation’

George Dobell02-Jun-2021Ollie Robinson has “unreservedly apologised” after admitting posting “racist and sexist” comments on Twitter while a teenager.The tweets, sent between April 2012 and June 2013, included use of the ‘N’ word, comments suggesting Muslim people were linked with terrorism, and derogatory comments about women and people of Asian heritage. Robinson was aged 18 and 19 at the time, and representing either Leicestershire, Kent and Yorkshire in second-team cricket.”On the biggest day of my career so far, I am embarrassed by the racist and sexist tweets that I posted over eight years ago, which have today become public,” Robinson said in a statement released shortly after stumps on the opening day of the two-Test series against New Zealand. “I want to make it clear that I’m not racist and I’m not sexist.”I deeply regret my actions, and I am ashamed of making such remarks. I would like to unreservedly apologise to anyone I have offended, my teammates and the game as a whole in what has been a day of action and awareness in combatting discrimination from our sport.”There was some irony in the timing of the discovery. Both England and New Zealand joined in a ‘moment of unity’ ahead of play in an attempted to show a collective stance against any form of discrimination in cricket. England also unveiled training t-shirts to be worn all summer which bear slogans declaring that ‘cricket is a game for everyone’ on the front and denouncing racism, sexism and religious intolerance among other things on the back.”I don’t want something that happened eight years ago to diminish the efforts of my teammates and the ECB as they continue to build meaningful action with their comprehensive initiatives and efforts, which I fully endorse and support,” Robinson continued.”I will continue to educate myself, look for advice and work with the support network that is available to me to learn more about getting better in this area. I am sorry, and I have certainly learned my lesson today.”Ollie Robinson has apologised for offensive tweets posted as a teenager•PA Images via Getty Images

The tweets may also expose the ECB to allegations of a failure to conduct due diligence. Robinson has been close to the England team for some time – he has toured with the Lions and spent months in the senior team’s bio-bubble in recent times – so it may raise eyebrows that nobody at the organisation had noticed such comments. Questions might also be raised of Yorkshire, who are currently facing an enquiry into their attitude towards race and inclusivity. Robinson made his first-team debut for the club in August 2013.While the comments were made several years ago, it is possible Robinson could still face disciplinary action from the ECB. A statement from ECB chief executive Tom Harrison made it clear that a “zero tolerance” attitude to such behaviour will be taken and committed to “a full investigation as part of our disciplinary process.””I do not have the words to express how disappointed I am that an England Men’s player has chosen to write tweets of this nature, however long ago that might have been,” Harrison said.”Any person reading those words, particularly a woman or person of colour, would take away an image of cricket and cricketers that is completely unacceptable. We are better than this.”We have a zero-tolerance stance to any form of discrimination and there are rules in place that handle conduct of this nature. We will initiate a full investigation as part of our disciplinary process.”Our England Men’s Team, alongside others from the ECB and our partners across the game, worked together today to create a moment of unity. Using today’s spotlight to reaffirm our commitment to driving forward an anti-discrimination agenda. Our commitment to that effort remains unwavering, and the emergence of these comments from Ollie’s past reiterates the need for ongoing education and engagement on this issue.”England players and staff stand for a Moment of Unity whilst wearing anti-discrimination T-shirts•Getty Images

Until the emergence of the tweets, Robinson had enjoyed a memorable day for almost entirely positive reasons. Having been presented with his Test cap by former Sussex colleague Jon Lewis, who is now the bowling coach with England, he impressed in taking two of the first three wickets on a flat pitch. Delivering an excellent probing length, he generated movement in both directions and looked to have the talent to forge a decent career at the top level.”Today should be about my efforts on the field and the pride of making my Test debut for England, but my thoughtless behaviour in the past has tarnished this,” Robinson’s statement continued.While Robinson made no attempt to excuse his behaviour, he did suggest he had “matured as a person” since the tweets were posted. In a subsequent media conference, he also suggested they had been sent in a period of turmoil after his release from Yorkshire. While the tweets came to prominence shortly after lunch, it is understood that the England management did not tell Robinson until the close of play.”I was thoughtless and irresponsible, and regardless of my state of mind at the time, my actions were inexcusable,” Robinson continued. “Since that period, I have matured as a person and fully regret the tweets.”Over the past few years, I have worked hard to turn my life around. I have considerably matured as an adult. The work and education I have gained personally from the PCA, my county Sussex and the England Cricket Team have helped me to come to terms and gain a deep understanding of being a responsible professional cricketer.”Related

• Another England men's player found to have posted discriminatory content

• Rory Burns earned this recall, and needed this innings

• Ollie Robinson, James Bracey, Craig Overton – Meet the England new boys

• Joe Root: England, New Zealand will take 'moment of unity' ahead of first Test

• Unbeaten ton from debutant Devon Conway sets platform for New Zealand

It was not until July 2014 that Yorkshire terminated Robinson’s contract due to “unprofessional” conduct. The club’s coach at the time, Jason Gillespie, was quoted at the time as saying: “When a player consistently displays behaviour that isn’t professional, there has to be a point in time when you say, ‘look, this isn’t really working, you’re obviously not bothered about playing for the club’.”Robinson’s current club, Sussex, issued a statement saying they were “beyond disappointed to read these tweets when they were brought to our attention today” and that “their content was wholly unacceptable”.”We are pleased that Ollie has apologised unreservedly and taken responsibility for a significant mistake that he made as a teenager,” the statement said. “His age does not excuse the content of these tweets in any way and he will now suffer the consequences of his actions.”We know he recognises the severity of the situation and that he is devastated that what should have been a proud day has been overshadowed in this manner. We know also that Ollie will learn some very important lessons from this experience. We will be here to offer any support Ollie needs during that process.”There will be some who dismiss the tweets as the work of an immature young man and suggest Robinson should not be defined by them. Others will point out that we may all have once been young and foolish, but we have not all been young, foolish and racist. Either way, they will be an acute embarrassment to the individual as well as the ECB and do nothing to convince the doubters that the sport is inclusive and welcoming.In the longer term, though, Robinson’s tweets may serve to provide a reminder of where we are as a sport and a society on such issues. By doing so, they underline the importance of the England’s team’s current campaign in ensuring there is greater awareness and education in such areas.

Ireland progressed to the final of the Desert T20 Challenge with a performance that showed glimpses of the form that made them the dominant force among Associates

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Dubai20-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:54

Crowds are what we play cricket for – Porterfield

Four years ago, Ireland were the dominant force among Associates, beating virtually all comers on their voyages in the desert at back-to-back World T20 Qualifiers. But after falling on hard times in the game’s shortest format, their performance in a semi-final win over Scotland may have been a rebirth. They thrashed Scotland by 98 runs to set up a clash with Afghanistan in the final for the fourth time, and first since Ireland’s undefeated run to the 2013 World T20 Qualifier.In scoring a mammoth 211 for 6, Ireland tied a T20I record score at the ground set by Sri Lanka against Pakistan in 2013. It’s also Ireland’s second-highest T20I score, 14 short of the 225 for 7 they racked up against Afghanistan in the final of the World T20 Qualifier in Abu Dhabi. Paul Stirling and Stuart Poynter fired Ireland at the top, scoring 71 for 0 in the Powerplay, the best first six overs for any team at the tournament, and added 78 for the first wicket before Poynter fell to Con de Lange for 39 off 19 balls.Stirling peppered the rope between point and cover for most of his five boundaries and hit two of his three sixes over square leg before he fell for 60 at the start of the 12th over. Gary Wilson picked up the baton and continued the relay sprint past 200, firing a clinically savage 65 not out off 29 balls.Scotland fought gamely in their own Powerplay as Matthew Cross biffed his way to 35 off 16 balls. Cross lifted Craig Young, Kevin O’Brien and George Dockrell over the rope for six in a frenetic first four overs before he was beaten for pace by Boyd Rankin attempting a pull and was caught at mid-on. Young persisted with a short-ball plan to Coetzer. He was hit over the leg side for a pair of fours and sixes in the fifth over as Coetzer tried to balance the ledger after the wicket of Cross.Legspinner Jacob Mulder entered in the eighth over and hastened Scotland’s demise, producing another impressive spell to finish with 4 for 16. After his first two overs, the required run-rate had jumped to 13 halfway through the chase. Forced to take more risks, Scotland started to slog their way back to the dugout and the innings concluded one ball into the 16th over.What if … Left-arm spinner Mark Watt took the new ball, coming around the stumps. With his first delivery, Watt found Paul Stirling’s outside edge prodding forward to a good-length ball. Cross, one of the best pure glovemen on the global circuit, couldn’t hand on to the chance. Two balls later, Stirling played a scoop over fine leg and Ireland never looked back.Legspinner Jacob Mulder has used the bounce in the Dubai surface to induce plenty of false strokes•Peter Della Penna

Mr RobotAfter Stirling broke down Scotland’s firewall with a blitz at the top of the innings, Man of the Match Wilson continued to hack through their opponent’s operating system.Wilson’s finest sequence came against Josh Davey in the 18th over. He cut the fourth ball past point to the boundary, then lofted straight for six over long-on, who had been fielding wide on the boundary. He moved straighter for the next ball, and Wilson took pleasure in manipulating the field as he flicked Davey’s last ball of the over through wide long-on for another boundary.Jacob’s ladderThe emergence of legspinner Mulder in this tournament has been positively divine for Ireland. Like most bowlers at the tournament, Mulder hasn’t been getting a lot of turn, but in Dubai in particular, he has seized on the extra bounce on offer to produce plenty of top edges and wickets.Calum MacLeod was his first victim in the semi-final, as his slog against the turn ballooned up to Andy McBrine at deep square leg. Coetzer fell targeting mid-off but sent a catch swirling to Porterfield at cover. He put himself on a hat-trick next ball when he got Safyaan Sharif to slog to deep midwicket, then clipped Craig Wallace’s top edge in the 14th over as an attempted cut fluttered to short third man.Heading into the final, Mulder is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 10, one more than Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan. The final is all set to be a tantalising legspin duel.

Sachin Tendulkar, Yusuf Pathan, and S Badrinath had earlier tested positive for the virus

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2021Irfan Pathan has become the fourth player to test positive for Covid-19 from among those who played in the recently concluded Road Safety World Series, a T20 tournament that pitted former players from India, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, South Africa and Sri Lanka against each other.Related

• After Tendulkar and Yusuf Pathan, Badrinath also tests Covid-19 positive

On Saturday, Sachin Tendulkar announced that he had tested positive for the virus, and his announcement was followed by similar ones from Irfan’s half-brother Yusuf Pathan, and S Badrinath.Irfan said he was showing no symptoms and had isolated himself at home, making the announcement of his positive test on Twitter, like Tendulkar, Yusuf, and Badrinath had.”I have tested positive for COVID-19 with no symptoms and have isolated myself and quarantined at home. I would request those who came in contact with me in recent past to please get themselves tested,” Irfan wrote. “Urging all to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Wishing you all good health.” The tournament took place in the Indian city of Raipur from March 7 to 21.Irfan was part of the Indian team alongside Tendulkar, Yusuf, and Badrinath, with India ending up triumphant the tournament.Irfan had announced his retirement from cricket in January 2020, bringing to an end a career that featured 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is, and included a winner’s medal in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, alongside several memorable Test and ODI triumphs too. He last played for India in the T20 World Cup in 2012, but continued to be a regular presence in the domestic circuit after that, and was a prominent feature in the IPL till 2016. Over the last three years, Irfan rose to become a sought-after commentator and Hindi cricket analyst in India. He also runs a cricket academy in Vadodara, which he co-founded with Yusuf.According to Johns Hopkins University, which has tracked the spread of the pandemic since it first hit in 2019, India is third on the list of countries with the most Covid-19 infections and fourth on the list of most deaths.