Lara robbed, six arrested

Six people have been arrested for allegedly stealing USD one million in cash, jewellery and several personal belongings of legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara from his Lady Chancellor mansion.

A report in 'Trinidad and Tobago Guardian' said the honorary 'Order of Australia' which was bestowed on Lara by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during the hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Port-of-Spain on November 29, last year, was also stolen.

The thieves also took away over 40 VVIP tickets worth USD 1,600 each for B3 Beyonce 'I AM' concert, to be held on February 18 at Queen's Park Savannah.

According to Police, Lara discovered the burglary on Wednesday morning and investigators feel it might be a work of an insider as it seems the safe was stolen while Lara was asleep in the TV room.

"It has to be people who knew exactly where to go, and they knew what they were looking for...They timed him very well before making their move," a police source was quoted as saying by the paper.

Lara told investigators that the last time he saw the vault, which was in a bedroom, was around 4 pm on Tuesday.


After that around 8 pm, Lara fell asleep while watching television in his TV room. When he got up at around 2 am, he found the vault missing.

© PTI

Ind-SA ODI shifted from Kanpur to Gwalior

The BCCI shifted the second one-dayer between India and South Africa on February 24 from Kanpur to Gwalior.

Without giving any reason, the Cricket Board said in a release that the second ODI has been shifted from Kanpur to Gwalior.

"The second One Day International between India and South Africa scheduled to be played at Kanpur on 24th February 2010 has now been shifted to Gwalior," BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan said in the release.

The first ODI will be played in Jaipur on February 21 while the third and last match will be held in Ahmedabad on February 27.

© PTI

Umpire Benson retires from the elite panel

ICC umpire Mark Benson has retired from the Elite Panel and has decided to return home to England to take up a contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Benson, who has been on the panel since 2006, has umpired a total of 27 Tests, 72 ODIs and 19 T20Is. In that time he stood in the final of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 final in Johannesburg and was also shortlisted for Umpire of the Year at the LG ICC Awards in 2007 and 2008.

Although Benson's contract was not due to expire until the end of June 2010, he asked if he could be released from it three months early so he could take up a contract with the ECB and this request was granted.

"I have enjoyed my time on the elite panel immensely," said Benson.

"The opportunity to be part of the global game has given me memories that I will always treasure. But travel and being away from home takes its toll on the family and some warning bells have started to ring regarding my health.

"So, having thought about it carefully, I feel now is the right time for me to step down and move to a more settled and familiar environment in England.

"I'd like to thank the ICC and my umpiring colleagues on the elite panel for their support over the years. Umpiring at the top level has been a very rewarding experience for me and it is not an easy decision to walk away from it but I believe it is the right one as far as my health and family are concerned.

"I also want to thank the ECB for giving me the opportunity to be part of the county circuit again. I'm looking forward to the new season as much as I did when I played, and hope that I can add value with my international experience as an ICC elite umpire."

ICC Umpires' and Referees' Manager Vince van der Bijl said: "Mark's immense love for and enjoyment of cricket shines through his umpiring. His on-field calm demeanour will be missed, as will his friendly and easygoing disposition.

"We fully understand and support his decision, which was brought on by a desire to spend more time in England with his family and some concerns about health issues. He will add richly to the county circuit as he is a talented and hugely experienced umpire and we wish him great success."

© ICC

Afridi gets a 2-match ban for ball tampering

Shahid Afridi has been banned for two Twenty20 internationals after being caught up in a ball-tampering row during his team's defeat in final ODI against Australia.

Afridi quoted in an interview with ABC Radio that he was trying to move somethings on the ball. He said, "I tried to smell it. There were some things on it that I tried to move. I don't know what made me do such a mad thing. It was not right and I apologise for my actions . This was very unfortunate and should not have happened. I have learnt from my mistake and will not repeat it again".

Afridi, who was captaining Pakistan in the absence of Mohammad Yousuf, was caught on TV cameras apparently biting the ball in the match at the WACA in Perth where Australia completed a 5-0 whitewash of the one-day series.

A team source, speaking to Cricinfo, said "Shahid Afridi has been banned for two T20Is after the incident. He pleaded guilty to the charge."

Afridi, who captains the Pakistan side in Twenty20 cricket, will miss the match against Australia on February 5 as well as the first of two matches against England in Dubai on February 19.

The International Cricket Council confirmed that Afridi had received two suspension points after breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the game.

Two suspension points in the code means a ban of a Test, two ODIs or two T20Is.

Shahid was charged with an article 2.2.9 offence of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to "changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket".

The charge was laid by on-field umpires Asoka de Silva and Paul Reiffel, as well as third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth official Mick Martell.

Match referee Ranjan Madugalle handed Afridi the maximum penalty under the provision of the code.

"I imposed the maximum penalty under the code to Shahid and reminded him of his responsibilities as a national captain which is to ensure that the match is played according to the laws of the game and in the spirit in which it is intended to be played," said Madugalle.

"Shahid, when pleading guilty, apologised and regretted his actions," the match referee said.

Afridi, who was ashamed of his actions, apologised for his act and said he would never commit the mistake again.

"I'm ashamed of myself. I shouldn't have done such an act. It happened in the heat of the moment. I apologise for my mistake," Afridi said.

"It was a close match and Pakistan had not won any match. We needed a win and I just wanted to help the fast bowlers. I did it on that spur of moment. I have been banned now and I have learnt my lessons. I will ensure it doesn't happen again," Afridi added.

In 2005, Afridi was banned for twisting his spikes and trying to change condition of pitch during a Test match in Faisalabad against England.

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam said Afridi's actions were unacceptable. He wondered why he was behaving as if he was "eating an apple" and remarked that he did not know what Afridi wanted to achieve.

"It's unacceptable. It shouldn't have happened but it happened and I feel sorry for him. Being a captain you should be above everything but unfortunately it's happened," Alam said.

Immediately after television cameras showed Afridi biting into the ball to change its condition, a top official called up team manager Abdul Raquib and instructed him not to send Afridi for the closing ceremony and instead ask regular captain Mohammad Yousuf to do that job, said PCB sources.

"Raquib was also told that Afridi should not be allowed to speak to the media after the match and that he should immediately accept his mistake and apologize to match referee, Ranjan Madugalle," one PCB official said.

He said this was done to avoid more controversy and problems for Afridi.

"The board has now asked the team management to send Afridi back home early as he is no longer required with the team," he added.

Well placed sources, however, said despite the ball tampering incident and the two match ban, the board officials were impressed with the way Afridi wholeheartedly led the side in the absence of Yousuf.

"He is definitely our next one-day internationals captain but since he himself is not very keen on playing Test cricket the board will look at other candidates to lead the side in the longest format," one source said.
© Cricbuzz

Injury rules Siddle out of the summer

Australian pacer Peter Siddle was ruled out of the team's upcoming Test and one-day tour of New Zealand due to a stress fracture in his back.

"Cricket Australia announces that fast bowler Peter Siddle has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of his back and will be unavailable for the rest of the summer," CA announced in a statement.

Australia team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said Siddle's injury was revealed in scan conducted after the five-match one-day series against Pakistan last week.

"Peter experienced pain in his back during the recent Pakistan ODI series. The source of the pain was investigated after the fifth ODI and scans revealed that he has a lower back stress fracture," he said.

Siddle has also been forced out of Australia's domestic competition.

"The nature of this injury means that Peter will require a long rehabilitation period and as such he'll be unavailable for the remainder of the domestic summer and the tour of New Zealand," Kountouris said.

Australia's tour of New Zealand starts March 3 with a five-match ODI series to be followed by two Tests.

© PTI

Shaun Tait unleashes 160 kmph thunderbolt

Shaun Tait bowled what was reportedly the quickest delivery on Australian soil in the home side's two-run win over Pakistan, when he unleashed a 160.7 kmph rocket off just the third ball of his opening over.

Tait was the man-of-the-match for figures of 3/13, but talk centred equally on his magnificent bowling as on that particular delivery.

The huge crowd of more than 60,000 at the MCG let out a collective gasp when the scoreboard immediately flashed just how quick it was with Channel Nine later reporting that it was the fastest ball ever delivered by any bowler in Australia.

Tait's thunderbolt was the third-fastest ball ever bowled, behind Brett Lee, whose quickest is 160.9kph, and Pakistan's record holder Shoaib Akhtar, who unleashed a 161.3kph ball during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

Tait, whose decision to give up first-class cricket in order to ensure he remains injury-free for the shortened forms of the game is starting to pay off, said fans should not expect him to bowl as quick as he did at the MCG on Friday night on a regular basis.

"I was obviously feeling pretty good today and every now and then there are nights when everything goes well and your timing is right," he said after Friday night's game when quizzed about his record-breaking delivery.

"You can't really explain why some nights it comes out so well and the next night is not so good."

Tait, who has battled countless injuries during his career given the toll his unique slingshot action takes on his body, said he was feeling fresh going into the game because rain in the lead-up to the match had prevented him from bowling in the nets.

"As far as I am concerned that (not bowling in the nets before a game) is good preparation," he joked.

However despite coming so close to bowling the fastest ball in the history of the game, Tait doubts he will break Akhtar's record.

"Shoaib bowled whatever he bowled - I don't know how because I almost killed myself out there tonight," he said.

"It's not something I think about all the time and there are only certain moments when you are bowling in your career when you have got a chance to do it."

"You have probably only got two balls in a game where you can do it and then after that it's hard to get back up to that sort of pace."

"But the decision I have made to only play the short forms of the game was a good one and I have been feeling fresh for a majority of games this season apart from just a couple maybe."

© Cricbuzz