Pakistan court lifts ban on fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar

The Lahore High Court on Friday lifted an 18-month ban on Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for indiscipline.

Although the court lifted the suspension, it did not withdraw the seven million rupees ($101,000) fine imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board appellate tribunal last month.
The PCB handed the volatile fast bowler a five-year ban in April for several instances of indiscipline and violating the conditions of a two-year probation.
The tribunal later reduced the suspension to 18 months with a fine.

Source: www.rediff.com

Kirsten asked to stop match-specific columns

July 3, 2008, The BCCI hasn't taken very kindly to Gary Kirsten's match comments

The BCCI has restricted the India coach Gary Kirsten from writing columns on matches involving India but made it clear that it did not have any problems with him operating his website. Kirsten, for instance, isn't allowed to comment on the team's preparations and strategies, as well as his feedback on the performance at the end of the game.
"As far his website goes he [Kirsten] had already made us aware of that before he took over as the coach. We have no objection to that", Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's chief operating officer, told Cricinfo.
Shetty said the board had explained to Kirsten that besides the national captain, no-one was permitted to express his views in the media in any form. "He has been conveyed the message that he can't write columns related to the pre-and post-match, especially when India are playing," Shetty said.
Recently Dilip Vengsarkar, the chief selector, had to stop writing a long-standing column after the board took hard objection to the matter.
Kirsten, along with his assistant Paddy Upton (the mental conditioning coach and trainer) have been writing columns on garykirsten.com, but Kirsten's comments that dealt with selection issues seemed to have rubbed on the wrong side of the board. Kirsten's previous column, published on June 25, touched on the issue of having a rotation policy to keep the players refreshed in an already packed season.
"One of my most important tasks as head coach will be to implement a rotation policy for the national squads in order to keep our best players rested and fresh," Kirsten wrote. "It won't be easy - it never is - but I'm sure there is a sufficient level of maturity and understanding among the players to accept that there is simply too much cricket for any single player to perform at his best all the time.
"Mahendra Singh Dhoni [the Indian ODI and Twenty20 captain] is probably the most obvious example of a man needing a break. In my own experience, by the time a player is feeling tired or 'flat', it is already too late to rest him. The rest needs to happen before fatigue sets in."

Source: www.cricinfo.com

ICC changes Oval forfeiture to draw, England v Pakistan, The Oval, 2006

July 3, 2008, Darrell Hair awarded England five penalty runs in their second innings for ball tampering

The ICC has changed the result of the controversial Oval Test between England and Pakistan in 2006 from an English victory to a draw, following pressure from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the annual ICC meeting in Dubai.
"The board decided the result of the match should be altered. The change is from an England win as a result of Pakistan's refusal to play to the match being termed abandoned as a draw," the ICC said. "The board's decision is based on the view that in light of the unique set of circumstances the original result was felt to be inappropriate."
Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was Pakistan's captain during the Test, welcomed the ICC's decision. "I am very happy about it. This decision and the fact that we were cleared of ball-tampering charges proves that we were correct in our stance," he said. "This proves that what happened there was because of one man (Darrell Hair). It is sad that he is still there."
The Test was originally awarded to England by umpire Darrell Hair after Pakistan did not come out to field after tea on the fourth day, following accusations of ball-tampering.
Pakistan had, at the time, been in a strong position in the match, having secured a first-innings lead of 331 and removed four England batsmen second-time around. There was nothing at stake in the series, with England already leading 2-0 after wins at Headingley and Old Trafford, but the eventual forfeiture was the first in the history of Test cricket. The removal of England's win could affect their standing in the ICC Test Championship - they are currently third on 110 points, one ahead of their next opponents, South Africa, on 109.
The result had huge off-field ramifications as well. Hair went on to be suspended from the ICC elite panel, and though that decision was overturned last year when he took his employers to the High Court in London, the initial decision formed the basis of Pakistan's appeal for a rethink of the result.

source: www.circinfo.com

Zimbabwe pull out of World Twenty20

July 4, 2008, Zimbabwe have agreed to pull out of next year's Twenty20 World Cup in England, clearing the roadblocks for the competition to be staged there, but will retain their status as Full Member of the ICC and receive funding as usual. They will also receive their full participation fee for the tournament.
"We have decided to pull out in the larger interests of the game," Peter Chingoka, the chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket, told Cricinfo. "We have been informed that the British government may not grant visas to our players, and that situation may prevail during the Twenty20 World Cup. We don't want to be gatecrashers."
"It was a collective decision and I was a part of that decision," Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, told Cricinfo.
"The full membership of Zimbabwe is currently not in doubt," ICC president David Morgan said. "There was not even a discussion on the issue of Zimbabwe's membership."
The decision, Chingoka said, pertained only to the tournament in England. "We are now looking forward to more tours and international cricket with our Asian friends, especially India."
The Zimbabwe issue had occupied a large part of the discussions during the ICC executive board meeting, which carried over to an unscheduled third day on Friday after a failure to reach a consensus.
Some countries, led by England and South Africa, had been pushing for Zimbabwe to be stripped of Full Member status but that move had been opposed by India.
Ray Mali, the former ICC president, has recommended the setting up of a sub-committee to "advise the ICC board on all matters relating to Zimbabwe cricket including its return to full participation in the international game. The specific terms of reference for the sub-committee will be finalised in due course." The sub-committee, if approved, will chaired by Julian Hunte, the head of the West Indies board, and include Arjuna Ranatunga and another official (who hasn't been confirmed).
Source: www.circinfo.com