Bradman bat fetches record price

Donald Bradman's first Test cricket bat sold at auction here late Wednesday for a record 145,000 dollars (121,938 US), the auction house said. An Australian bidder acquired the bat, which was signed by the country's greatest cricketer and the entire 1928-29 Test team and their English rivals. "This is a record price for a cricket bat and there were several bidders, all of them within Australia, hoping to win the auction," a spokeswoman for Leski Auctions told national news agency AAP. Bradman, who died in 2001 aged 92, is Australia's greatest sporting legend and maintains an unbeaten Test batting average of 99.94 some 60 years after his last match. The bat sold at auction was used on Bradman's Test debut, during which he scored just 18 and 1 as Australia were thrashed by England. The English won the series 4-1. Bradman, who was dropped after the match, donated the bat to a competition run by a Sydney newspaper to help raise funds for a children's hospital.

source: www.cricbuzz.com

Akhtar allowed to play domestic event

Pakistan cricket authorities said Tuesday that controversial paceman Shoaib Akhtar can play in a domestic cricket tournament -- just one week after barring him from the same event. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Akhtar can play in a Twenty20 event without paying a 90,000-dollar fine that he owes from an earlier disciplinary breach, contradicting an earlier statement from a PCB legal adviser. The 33-year-old paceman was banned for five years in April for criticising the PCB's failure to award him a central contract. It was later reduced by an appeals commission to 18 months but the commission also imposed the fine. Lahore High court suspended the ban in July but upheld the fine. "We never barred him from playing the domestic event," PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi told AFP. Akhtar was not initially included in any of the 13 teams due to compete for the national T20 title from October 4-8 after PCB legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi said last Tuesday that Akthar could not play. But his name was included recently in the Islamabad team for the event, which will serve as selection test for a four-nation event in Canada. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Canada are competing in the event, which will be held in Toronto from October 10-13. The PCB last month included Akhtar in a 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, but two days later the PCB changed its stance and said Akhtar could only play if he paid the fine. The trophy was, however, postponed for 12 months over security fears. Akhtar returned home early Tuesday after playing two first-class matches for Surrey in the English county season. He managed just one wicket in two matches and failed to help Surrey avoid relegation to Division Two. Akhtar said he will play in the domestic event. "I am disappointed on not getting the number of wickets I wished but I have just returned from fitness problems so it will take some time to gain full rhythm," he said. "I will play in the domestic T20 event to prove my fitness and want to play for Pakistan as soon as possible," said Akhtar, whose last match for Pakistan was the third Test against India at Bangalore in December last year.

Source: www.cricbuzz.com

Greg is no threat...

India: If the Indian players start losing sleep because Greg Chappell is in bed with the enemy then they need a sharp wake-up call. What can Greg tell the Australians they don't already know about this Indian batting line-up?If the Australian captain doesn't know how he wants his bowlers to attack Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman after playing against them for a decade, then Greg isn't going to be of much help. If the Australian batsmen don't already have their own plan to cope with Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan then Greg would be better off taking in the sights of Agra.And despite Ricky Ponting's struggles with the bat in India he's still played eight more Tests in the country than Greg. That's right, Greg didn't play a Test in India and even though he's watched a lot of cricket under those conditions there's nothing like actually having been out in the middle.Make no mistake, in his time there was no better mentally organised batsman than Greg and I can vouch for his determination all the way back to his eighth birthday. It would be in the Australian batsmen's best interest to listen when Greg talks about mental preparation because he has a diploma in the subject. And it wouldn't hurt a few of the catching cordon to ask him about fielding in the slips because that's an area of concern for Australia.However, the Indians shouldn't be worrying about what Greg might pass on to the Australians in regard to weaknesses and foibles. It's more important they concentrate on making sure their game is in order. There's no doubt Greg is a valuable addition to Australia's Centre of Excellence; he can make a real difference to young players on the verge of international cricket. And travelling with the touring side in India for a few weeks will help him get a feel for the way the modern Australian player approaches the game. However, if the Indian players worry so much about Greg's presence in the opposition dressing room it puts them off their game then they are in big trouble before a ball is even bowled. If it reaches the point where it leads to India's defeat in the series then the home players will only have themselves to blame.

source: www.mid-day.com

ICC may control T20 Tournaments

London: As popularity of the Twenty20 format of the game seems going through the roof, the International Cricket Council (ICC) are considering regulating the spree of T20 tournaments to protect the attraction of international cricket.
"All these tournaments are springing up and what we are trying to do is regulate them in a more effective way. A private businessman might have different ambitions but we have to protect the game of cricket," ICC Chief Executive Officer Haroon Lorgat was quoted as saying.
"Twenty20 is an opportunity that people have spotted they can take advantage of, but that doesn't detract from what has been agreed by all members that we will not sacrifice nation-v-nation cricket. Everyone recognises its importance. People are not disregarding it," he said.
Interestingly, Lorgat's comment came days after 6 Bangladesh cricketers, including former captain Habibul Bashar, resigned from the national team in an apparent move to join the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).
"If there wasn't an interest in the sport there wouldn't be so many challenges. I would rather come into a scenario where things are moving at great speed, with new forms of cricket and a new audience," the South African added.
The Champions League Twenty20 tournament will also be held here in December, and the rebel ICL will also start its third session from October 10.

source: www.mid-day.com