BCCI boots out Kings and Royals from IPL

MUMBAI: In a swift and unexpected move with far-reaching consequences, Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals were scrapped from the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

The BCCI, after its IPL governing council meeting, announced that the two franchises' contracts were being terminated with immediate effect for violating shareholding and ownership patterns.

The Kochi IPL franchise has been given 10 days to incorporate their franchise and get their documents and money in place, failing which their contract will also be terminated.

The shocked team owners of King's XI and RR promised to take the fight to the courts. Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty, the faces of their respective teams, said they were too stunned to even react.

Inevitably, suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi's name was invoked: he is believed to have financial interests in both teams. BCCI president Shashank Manohar, however, denied any such motive, saying, "It is not due to any single person."

Kings XI and RR have been feeling the heat right from the time the board decided to increase the number of IPL teams to 10. With major politicians and mega companies aligning with different bidders, the fight turned ugly.

In the process, Modi got engaged in a direct tussle with former minister of state Shashi Tharoor, who had guided Kochi's successful bid. As the war became bitter, the government's investigative agencies got into the act.

They soon discovered that the IPL had apparently violated many laws of the country; they even claimed to have spotted money-laundering trails and foreign exchange violations.

King's XI and RR, who were alleged to have benefited because of their proximity with Modi, were seen as the worst culprits.

According to the two show-cause notices, copies of which are with TOI, Rajasthan Royals have been charged with three gross violations.

Addressed to Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Ltd, it said: "You had claimed that the Emerging Media (IPL) Ltd, UK (Bidco) would be the entity controlling the Indian holding company operating the franchise through its wholly owned Mauritian subsidiary. But you stepped into the shoes of the original bidder on the date of award of the franchise i.e., 14.4.2008, without being a group company or entity controlled by the bidder.

"Accordingly, under clause 11.2 and 11.3 of the franchise agreement, the contract has been terminated."

Shock Decision

Rajasthan Royals

Bid was presented by one company, agreement signed by another. Shareholding pattern too changed. Shares sold or transferred without permission of governing council.

Kings XI Punjab

Change in ownership patterns. Bidders were led by Preity Zinta, as chairperson of KPH Dream Cricket. But shares were held by ACEE Enterprises and Mohit Burman. In 2008, ownership patterns changed twice even though they had signed an agreement barring changes in first three years.

Team holdings

Rajasthan Royals: Originally owned by Emerging Media Group whose chairman is Manoj Badale. Other investors include Lalchan Murdoch, Aditya Chellaram, Suresh Chellaram

Team bought for $67m in 2008 auction

Latest investors

Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty purchased 11.7% in 2009, raising the team value to $130m

Kings XI Punjab: Owned by Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, Karan Paul and Mohit Burman

Team bought for $76m in 2008

Who's Saying What

It's more than just a team 4 us... We're deeply saddened. Hope the fans support us!

Shilpa Shetty | Co-owner, Rajasthan Royals on twitter

Mulling legal options but I am not sure whether we can have IPL 4 if teams are treated like this.

Raj Kundra | Co-owner

3 seasons ago Royals won first ever IPL, underdogs come good, what a story! Now look. I hope BCCI come to their senses, fingers crossed!

Shane Warne | RR captain on twitter

I wonder if IPL franchisees are serious stakeholders whose investments and participation are respected or are they slaves who only come and play.

Vijay Mallya | Owner, RCB

The owners should get together and run the league on their own. This action is totally illegal. They (BCCI) are hell bent on destroying something that we as Indians are proud of - IPL - to satisfy their personal agendas.

Lalit Modi | former IPL chairman

After working so hard in IPL & putting my everything building this team this is not what I expected! Shocked!

Preity Zinta | Co-owner, KXIP

Key Questions

What happens to the promoters' investments?

They had to pay the sum bid at the auction over 10 years. So far, RR has paid about $20m and KXIP about $22m. In addition, there are player costs, match hosting expenses and brand-building budgets. This money is lost. But they also made money from sponsorships and gate receipts (ballpark estimate: $15m). Royals also got $5m for winning the first IPL and sold an 11.7% stake to Shilpa and Kundra for about $15m

What happens to the players of the two teams?

They will be put in the auction pool and any franchise can pick them up. The player auction will be held in January

Why did BCCI take such an extreme step?

Ostensibly, for unsanctioned changes in shareholding or ownership patterns. But political pressure following money-laundering charges and personal agendas may have played a key role too

Was it pushed into a corner by the govt?

It seems so. The ED's investigations have apparently revealed that IPL caused losses worth hundreds of crores to the exchequer through alleged money laundering and FEMA violations. Allocation of TV rights, mobile rights and other mega deals are also being probed

Did it have no option?

Apparently not. The govt had warned BCCI that if it didn't act, govt agencies would step in. That would have been disastrous for Brand IPL

Could it be a witch-hunt against Modi?

BCCI has denied it. But the Tharoor embarrassment has clearly not been forgotten. Modi is believed to have financial interests in both teams, at least through relatives

What can the 2 teams do?

They'll almost surely take the legal route

What about Kochi?

They have a 10-day breather. If they can resolve their disputes and form a company, they survive

What happens if Kochi gets axed too?

A fresh auction for three teams, or at least one, will be held by January. IPL-4 will be held in April-May as originally planned. It will become a 60-match, home and away affair, if it becomes an 8-team league. If it's increased to 10, there will be 74 matches

TOI

Misbah appointment shocking: Akram

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram is shocked at the appointment of Misbah-ul-Haq as Pakistan captain for the two-Test series against South Africa, starting November 20.

Speaking to Mobile ESPN from Karachi on Saturday, Akram said: "I was surprised when I heard that Misbah has been named the Pakistan captain. He has been out of the team since the beginning of the year and to bring him back as a captain was a bit shocking."

The legendary pacer believes that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) needs to think long term as age is fast catching up with Misbah.

"If they have named him the captain for one series, it's okay. He is already 36 and the PCB needs to find a long-term solution to this problem. I do not know what's the vision of the selectors," Akram said.

However, Akram was quick to point out that the Pakistan board was short of options when it came to naming the captain.

"They (PCB) did not have too many choices. Kamran Akmal is there but he is inexperienced. They have also tried Shoaib Malik. Mohammad Yousuf is making a comeback after a long time and he should just concentrate on his batting at the moment," the 44-year-old said.

Akram also said that Misbah will be under a lot of stress in the upcoming series against South Africa and he may find the going tough initially.

"Misbah will be under pressure. He will have to improve the image of Pakistan cricket. For Misbah handling the media and getting runs himself could be demanding," said Akram.

Looking ahead to the series against the Proteas, Wasim felt, "The wickets in Dubai might suit Misbah's style of batting, but you cannot take the South Africans lightly. They are a very tough opposition under any conditions. Misbah needs to work hard and make sure he earns the faith of the team. If he gets runs, everything else will take care of itself."

TOI

Want to perform for India as long as I play: Tendulkar

BANGALORE: Senior India batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday said playing for the country has been his childhood dream and that he has enjoyed every moment during the last 20 years.

"I have always been focused towards my game. When I started playing cricket, I never had any goals but always wanted to perform for my country and as long as I play for India, my focus will remain so," Tendulkar told the official broadcasters . He added, "Playing for India for 20 years has been magnificent."

The batting maestro said he has worked hard along with Gary Kristen for the last couple of years and the team is doing fantastically.

"It has always been a fantastic feeling to be a part of a successful team," said the batsman who has scored the most number of runs and centuries in Tests and ODIs.

Talking about his fitness, Tendulkar said he tries to work hard and lead a disciplined life but there are bound to be niggles in between.

On India's chances in the ongoing Test match, Tendulkar said, "It is going to be a challenge for us. The wicket is slow and has uneven bounce. We need to try and get good partnerships. We need to stay at the wicket but it is going to be hard work."

Meanwhile, as cricket lovers globally applauded Tendulkar's feat, his teammate Murali Vijay and Marcus North of Australia paid rich tributes to the batting icon.

Vijay said, "I am living my dream now. Sachin was my childhood hero and I am lucky to bat along side with him now. It is unbelievable. I am just enjoying that feel. It is a different kind of feel for me."

On the other hand, North referred to Sachin as an amazing player and said, "His feat of 14,000 plus runs is very special. I guess it is a credit to his career."

"In the pressures of Test cricket, he has had a long journey. He has proven to be a class player."

North also spelt out his team's strategy to get the master batsman out".

"We are somehow work hard and remove him pretty quickly tomorrow. Playing against someone who has had 14,000 plus runs as I have just got in to my first 1,000 runs, speaks as to how is respected," the Australian added.

TOI

Sachin Tendulkar wins ICC Cricketer of the Year Award

NEW DELHI: Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday bagged his maiden ICC Cricketer of the Year trophy along with the People's Choice Award, while compatriot Virender Sehwag was named the Test Cricketer of the Year at a glittering ceremony.

In Pics: ICC Awards Ceremony 2010

Tendulkar, who has an international career spanning over two decades, clinched the coveted trophy by beating South African Hashim Amla, Englishman Graeme Swann and Sehwag.

"It's better late than never. I am getting the award in the 21st year of my career, so it's fantastic. I have been working hard for this award," Tendulkar said after receiving the honour.

Tendulkar, who made his debut as a 16-year-old against Pakistan way back in November 15, 1989, was also named the winner of LG People's Choice Award.

"To play well is a challenge that you take in your stride and work hard to perform. I am doing this for the last 21 years and I take a lot of pride to play for my country," Tendulkar said.

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named captain of the ICC's World Test XI, while Australia was chosen as the best ODI team of the period between August 2009 and 2010.

Team India won the Test Team of the Year whereas Australia bagged the ODI Team of the Year Award.

South Africa's AB de Villiers has won the ODI Player of the Year award.

De Villiers beat off tough competition from Sachin Tendulkar and the Australia duo of Shane Watson and Ryan Harris to take the prestigious award.

During the voting period, de Villiers played 16 ODIs and scored 855 runs at an average of 71.25 and at a rate of 103.38 runs per 100 balls faced. In that time he hit four 50s and four centuries making sure he led his team from the front when it came to batting.

England fast bowler Steven Finn has won the ICC Emerging Player of the Year award at the LG ICC Awards ceremony in Bengaluru.

The 21-year-old, who played in six Test matches in the voting period and took 27 wickets at an average of 21.85, has made an immediate impact within the England side with his extra pace and bounce since making his Test debut in March of this year.

Pakistan Umpire Aleem Dar has won the David Shepherd Trophy for the second time after being named ICC Umpire of the Year.

Dar,42, was voted to this award by the 10 Full Member captains as well as the eight-man Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, based on his decision statistics and officiating skills over the past 12 months.

It is the second year in a row that he has received the ICC award which has been newly named after the late England umpire David Shepherd and upon collecting the trophy from Chris Broad, Dar said: "I think the fact I'm still playing cricket in Pakistan makes me a good umpire, in the last four times I've played cricket I scored centuries so I definitely think that has helped.

West Indies great Joel Garner was inducted into ICC Hall of Fame in the ceremony.

Netherlands all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate has become the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year at the LG ICC Awards in Bengaluru.

The voting academy chose ten Doeschate over other top Associate and Affiliate players including Afghanistan's Mohammed Shahzad and the Ireland duo of Trent Johnston and Kevin O'Brien. It is the second time ten Doeschate has claimed the award, the first time he picked up the title was in 2008.

The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its seventh year. The event was staged in association with Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA). Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009) and Dubai (2008).

The nominations for seven of the awards was made by a five-man ICC selection panel chaired by ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, former West Indies captain and Chairman of ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd. The panel also includes former India captain Ravi Shastri, former England fast bowler Angus Fraser, ex- Zimbabwe batsman and England coach Duncan Fletcher and former Australia opener Matthew Hayden.

The ICC on Wednesday announced its Test and ODI Team of the Year, as chosen by a specially appointed selection panel chaired by West Indian batting legend Clive Lloyd.

ICC Test team of the year (in batting order):

Virender Sehwag (IND), Simon Katich (AUS), Sachin Tendulkar (IND), Hashim Amla (RSA), Kumar Sangakkara (SRI), Jacques Kallis (RSA), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND /capt and wicketkeeper), Graeme Swann (ENG), James Anderson (ENG), Dale Steyn (RSA), Doug Bollinger (AUS).

ICC ODI Team of the Year (in batting order):

Sachin Tendulkar (IND), Shane Watson (AUS), Michael Hussey (AUS), AB de Villiers (RSA), Paul Collingwood (ENG), Ricky Ponting (AUS/capt), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (IND - wicketkeeper), Daniel Vettori (NZL), Stuart Broad (ENG), Doug Bollinger (AUS), Ryan Harris (AUS).

Winner

Category

Nominees
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)

Cricketer of the Year

Hashim Amla (SA), Virender Sehwag (Ind), Graeme Swann (Eng), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind).
Virender Sehwag (Ind)

Test Player of the Year

Hashim Amla (SA), Virender Sehwag (Ind), Dale Steyn (SA), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
AB de Villiers (SA)

ODI Player of the Year

Ryan Harris (Aus), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), AB de Villiers (SA), Shane Watson (Aus)
Steven Finn (Eng)

Emerging Player

Umar Akmal (Pak), Steven Finn (Eng), Angelo Mathews (SL), Tim Paine (Aus).
Brendon McCullum

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year
.

Michael Hussey, Mahela Jayawardena, Ryan McLaren, Brendon McCullum
Shelley Nitschke (AUS)

Women's Cricketer of the Year

Katherine Brunt (Eng), Shelley Nitschke (Aus), Ellyse Perry (Aus), Stafanie Taylor (WI)
Aleem Dar

Umpire of the Year

Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Tony Hill, Simon Taufel
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)

LG People's Choice Award

Michael Hussey (Aus), Mahela Jayawardena (SL), Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Andrew Strauss (Eng), AB de Villiers (SA)
New Zealand

Spirit of Cricket

India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe
India

Test Team of the Year

Australia

ODI Team of the Year

MS Dhoni

Test Captain

Ricky Ponting

ODI Captain

Ryan ten Doeschate (Ned)

Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year

Ryan ten Doeschate (Ned)
Trent Johnson (Ire)
Kevin O'Brien (Ire)
Mohammed Shahzad (Afg)


Read more: Sachin Tendulkar wins ICC Cricketer of the Year Award - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Sachin-Tendulkar-wins-ICC-Cricketer-of-the-Year-Award/articleshow/6697993.cms#ixzz11ds09Dzy

1st Test: Three-wicket Hilfenhaus rocks India in Mohali Read more: 1st Test: Three-wicket Hilfenhaus rocks India in Mohali

MOHALI: Fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus grabbed three key wickets in the final session to boost Australia's hopes of winning the opening Test against India on Monday.

India, needing 216 to win in their second innings, were wobbling at 55-4 at stumps on the penultimate day, with Hilfenhaus finishing with 3-22 off seven sharp overs.

With middle-order batsman VVS Laxman suffering from a stiff back, India's hopes largely depended on Sachin Tendulkar who was unbeaten with 10. Nightwatchman Zaheer Khan was batting on five.

Opener Gautam Gambhir was unlucky to be given out leg-before in Hilfenhaus' opening over as TV replays suggested he had inside-edged the delivery on to his pads.

Rahul Dravid (13) was caught behind off paceman Doug Bollinger, while Virender Sehwag (17) and Suresh Raina (0) fell to short rising deliveries from Hilfenhaus.

Sehwag was caught by Michael Hussey at gully, while Raina was caught by Marcus North in the slips.

Indian paceman Ishant Sharma earlier grabbed three big wickets in two sensational overs as Australia were bowled out for 192 in their second innings.

He removed Shane Watson (56), skipper Ricky Ponting (four) and Michael Clarke (four) in the opening two overs of his second spell in the morning.

There was no hint of a collapse when Australia reached 87 without loss following an attractive half-century from Watson, but Sharma jolted the tourists with three wickets for just eight runs.

Spinners Harbhajan Singh (2-40) and Pragyan Ojha (2-59) kept pressure on the middle order on a wearing track, before left-arm paceman Zaheer (3-43) ended the innings with the last three wickets.

Off-spinner Harbhajan trapped Hussey (28) leg-before and then had North (10) caught by close-in substitute fielder Cheteshwar Pujara.

Left-arm spinner Ojha had Simon Katich caught behind after the opener had batted patiently for his 37 runs. Both Katich and Hussey completed 4,000 Test runs during their knocks.

Australia's batting problems began when Watson dragged a Sharma delivery on to his stumps after hitting one six and seven fours in his 59-ball knock.

Three balls later, Sharma removed Ponting who pulled straight to Raina at backward square-leg.

The Indian paceman nearly got a third wicket in his opening over of the second spell when he had Clarke caught by Sehwag at short mid-wicket.

But it was declared a no-ball after on-field umpire Billy Bowden of New Zealand consulted TV umpire Sanjay Hazare.

Sharma did not have to wait long for his next success as he had Clarke caught behind for four runs in his next over.

Watson batted aggressively in the morning, punishing both seamers and spinners.

With Sharma looking unimpressive in his opening two-over spell, India introduced spin after five overs but failed to put pressure on the Australian openers.

Watson greeted Ojha with a four and then a six over long-on in the same over. He completed his 10th Test half-century off just 51 balls, flicking Harbhajan for two runs.

India were bowled out for 405 in their first innings on Sunday in reply to Australia's 428.

TOI

Tendulkar misses ton, India hand Australia 23-run lead Read more: Tendulkar misses ton, India hand Australia 23-run lead - The Times of India http://

MOHALI: India suffered a dramatic batting collapse after Sachin Tendulkar missed his 49th century by a whisker to eventually fold out for 405 in their first innings at stumps on day three of the first Test against Australia on Sunday.

Tendulkar (98) fell short of his 49th Test century by just two runs as, riding on Mitchell Johnson's five for 64, Australian bowlers made a splendid comeback and dismissed the last six Indian batsmen in the final hour of the day for just 51 runs.

Having scored 428 in their first essay, Australia will go into the penultimate day of the match with a slight edge over the home team after registering a 23-run first innings lead.

Part-time off-spinner Marcus North turned out to be party pooper for Indian fans, trapping Tendulkar leg before two runs short of century.

Tendulkar's 189-ball innings consisted of 13 boundaries, bulk of which was hit through region between point and extra cover. Along with Suresh Raina (89), he added 124 runs for the fifth wicket to lay the foundation for a big score.

India were cruising along at that stage with scoreboard reading 354 for four and with Raina for company, it looked as if Tendulkar would provide a substantial lead for his team. But it was not to be as after Tendulkar's dismissal, the lower middle-order fell like a pack of cards with Johnson inflicting the maximum damage.

Johnson dismissed skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (14) and Habhajan Singh (0) in successive deliveries and later accounted for Raina, who dominated the opposition attack from the onset with an aggressive 86 which was studded with 14 boundaries.

Raina failed to keep a Johnson delivery out of his way as it kept low and got him plumb in front.

VVS Laxman, who is suffering from a back injury, came out with a runner to bat at the number 10 position but could hardly make an impact before being the last man to depart.

Earlier, Rahul Dravid wasted a golden opportunity of surpassing Sir Don Bradman's tally of 29 Test hundred as India reached 280 for four at tea.

Dravid scored 77 and looked barely troubled by the Aussie bowlers before he edged a Doug Bollinger delivery to wicketkeeper Tim Paine.

The ball pitched on the middle stump and moved a shade as it kissed the edge of Dravid's bat. He batted for 205 minutes and faced 134 deliveries, hitting 12 fours in the process.

Tendulkar and Dravid put on 79 runs for the fourth wicket where the former was the dominant partner.

Unlike Sehwag, who bludgeoned the opposition bowlers yesterday, Tendulkar seemed to caress the ball to boundary. Out of his nine boundaries, the first five were pierced through the region between point and extra cover.

The first time Tendulkar played on the on-side was a slog sweep off Hauritz that went through the mid-wicket boundary. The next was a drive that went through the vacant mid-on region. Not only did he hit boundaries but he also ran the quick singles and twos well.

Raina also looked confident as he hit some lovely cover drives.

Earlier, the only batsman to be dismissed in the pre-lunch session was night-watchman Ishant Sharma, who scored 18 before shouldering arms to a Bollinger delivery that held its line before hitting the stumps.

A total of 81 runs were scored in the opening session as Indian batsmen played cautiously after starting on their overnight score of 110 for two.

Dravid, who was unbeaten on 21 overnight, started cautiously with Ishant, who did a commendable job and played out the first session to help the top-order batsmen to follow.

Growing in confidence watching Dravid comfortably negotiate the pace-spin duo of Mitchell Johnson and offie Nathan Hauritz, the lanky pacer played a few plucky shots, including a cover drive of Hauritz.

He added 45 runs with Dravid, who was a picture of concentration as he mostly left the deliveries on the off-stump channel. The only risky shot he played was off Hilfenhaus as the ball flew past the vacant third slip region.

Dravid and Ishant took India's score to 150 in the 37th over. But it was after the first drinks' break that Australia managed a breakthrough when Bollinger disturbed Ishant's timber.

On the other hand, the highlight of Dravid's innings was a bowler's back drive off Johnson. He reached his half century when he deliberately opened the face of the bat to guide a Johnson delivery past gully.

Having reached his 50, Dravid square cut Hauritz for a boundary.

Tendulkar too looked in superb form after arriving at the crease and started middling the ball right from the onset.

The Australian bowlers strangely did not attack much. Also the slowness in the strip is causing a problem for the pacers as they love to hit the deck.

Johnson, who has figures of two for 45, has bowled well in patches, while Bollinger was impressive in the morning as he scalped the only wicket of the session.

However, both Hilfenhaus and Hauritz were on the expensive side. While Hilfenhaus gave away 64 runs in 16 overs, Hauritz had an unimpressive none for 48 to show for his efforts.

The off-spinner often bowled short and gave a lot of width to the batsman to go for their cut shots.

TOI

1st Test: Australia elect to bat against India

NEW DELHI: Australia captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and opted to bat in the opening Test against India at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali on Friday.

Team India had serious major concerns ahead of the first Test with Harabhajan Singh rendered a doubtful starter, but the key spinner is fit to play.

Dhoni, who has just returned from South Africa after playing in the Champions League Twenty20, will also have to switch quickly to Test mode for the series which coincides with the Commonwealth Games from October 3 to 14 in Delhi.

The same is the case for Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina, who is set to play his third Test, though another CSK member Murali Vijay is expected to sit out.

With Mohali pitch predicted to be on the slower side with low bounce after heavy rains this monsoon season, slow bowlers, especially Harbhajan would be crucial to India's scheme of things.

In case of the feisty off-spinner's absence, who normally reserves his best against the Australians, Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra will have to take charge of the slow-bowling department.

On the other hand, Australia captain Ricky Ponting hopes to end his dismal run with the bat in India with an impressive performance in a two-Test series.

Ponting, who averages 54.66 overall, has rarely tasted success in India during his illustrious career.

Squad:

India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay.

Australia (from): Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Peter George, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Marcus North, Tim Paine, Steven Smith, Shane Watson, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson.

Read more: 1st Test: Australia elect to bat against India - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/australia-in-india

Skipper Butt dragged me into spot-fixing, Amir tells PCB

In what has come as a shock to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), budding fast bowler Mohammad Amir has said he was lured and dragged into spot-fixing by suspended Test skipper Salman Butt.

The young left-arm pacer is at present under suspension by the ICC for his alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord's last month. So are Butt and Mohammad Asif.

Sources in the PCB said that Amir had told chairman Ijaz Butt that he never wanted to be part of this "business" (spot-fixing) but was forced into it by Butt and Asif. "Aamir had gone to Butt and claimed he was innocent and a victim of the 'seniors' power lobby' in the team," a source said.

Another source revealed that Amir, regarded as one of Pakistan cricket's most promising young talent, had told manager Yawar Saeed about the pressure being exerted on him by Butt.

"Amir's claim is that he did what he was told to do. He is claiming innocence now and says he didn't even know Mazhar Majeed before Majeed was introduced to him by Butt and Asif," the source said.

Quite a few former Test captains, and even Pakistan's former President, Pervez Musharraf, have urged the ICC to show leniency towards Amir, all of 18. But chief selector, Mohsin Khan said he didn't agree with the viewpoint that Amir should be shown leniency because of his age.

"I don't buy this argument because if you can do something wrong at 18, you can keep on doing it later as well. If these three players are found guilty, they should be punished, including Amir," Mohsin had said.

The chief selector insisted that no cricketer was indispensable and there should be no compromise on discipline and commitment towards your team and country.

"Amir must be punished if he is guilty. I just hope that these three are eventually cleared because they have already damaged the reputaion of Pakistan cricket and the country," Mohsin said.

http://cricket.yahoo.com

Chennai Super Kings beat Warriors to win Champions League T20 title

JOHANNESBURG: Chennai Super Kings crushed the Eastern Cape Warriors by eight wickets in the final of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.

Spin bowlers Ravichandran Ashwin and Muttiah Muralitharan set up the win as the Warriors were restricted to 128 for seven in 20 overs.

Chennai opening batsmen Mike Hussey and Murali Vijay put on 103 for the first wicket without needing to take any risks.

The result was never in any real doubt although there were only six balls to spare when captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit the winning runs.

The win earned Chennai a $2.5 million jackpot and completed a notable double after they won the Indian Premier League earlier this year. The Warriors took home $1.3 million.

Yet the Warriors got off to a flying start, with captain Davy Jacobs hitting 34 off 21 balls after winning the toss.

The South African team raced to 39 for no wicket in the first four overs before Ashwell Prince was bowled by Doug Bollinger for six.

Jacobs was out in the next over when he missed an attempted reverse sweep against Ashwin and was leg before wicket.

After that the scoring rate slowed to a trickle. Ashwin, the top wicket-taker in the tournament, took two for 16 in his four overs and fellow off-spinner Muralitharan took three for 16.

Jacobs hit eight boundaries but the rest of the batsmen could only manage five fours and a six between them, with two fours and a six hit by Craig Thyssen off successive balls in the 17th over.

Vijay made 58 and Hussey 51 not out as the methodically chased down the Warriors total.

Vijay, who finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer, had two let-offs, both from Mark Boucher, the most experienced player in the Warriors team.

The South African Test wicketkeeper missed an edge off Rusty Theron when Vijay was on 15 and fumbled a stumping chance off left-arm spin bowler Nicky Boje when the batsman had scored 34.

TOI

Board President's XI bowlers finally come good

CHANDIGARH: After being outplayed for the better part of the first two days, there was some consolation for the Board President's XI on Tuesday, with their bowlers coming good and Ajinkya Rahane hitting a fluent ton as the three-day tour game against Australia ended in a draw.

However, Australia more then served their purpose of getting a feel of conditions ahead of the first Test, with Shane Watson getting centuries in both innings, the top order firing in unison and the faster bowlers too getting into rhythm.

India opener Gautam Gambhir, who was hit on his wrist by a rising Ben Hilfenhaus bouncer on Sunday, did not take the field, raising doubts over his fitness. However, the doctor attending him here said it was just a precautionary measure and there was nothing to worry about.

In the morning, Australian seamer Ben Hilfenhaus scalped 5-47 to skittle BP XI out for a paltry 177. Gambhir's men could only add 34 runs to their overnight total before the Aussie pacers ran through the tail. Piyush Chawla's brisk 82 (103b; 10x4, 3x6) was the only saving grace in their effort.

Batting second, Australia couldn't quite make use of the time they earned by dismissing BP XI cheaply. Promoting himself to open with Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (9) struck two crisp bounderies before mistiming a pull shot off Jaidev Unadkat to Umesh Yadav at square leg. After their poor show in the first innings, the Indian bowlers came up with an improved performance, not allowing the Australian batsmen to score freely.

However, Shane Watson continued his good form and slammed his second century of the match. The Queenslander clobbered an unbeaten 104 (121b; 18x4) which should give the Indians enough reason to worry.

Piyush Chawla finally extracted good turn from the flat turf to scalp 3-64 while Pragyan Ojha, Jaidev Unadkat and Umesh Yadav picked up one wicket each as the visitors declared at 187/6. Chasing an improbable target of 516 runs in 41 overs, BP XI scored 174 without losing any wicket as Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara frustrated the Australian bowlers.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan (5) retired hurt after a Hilfenhaus bouncer hit him close to his ear, but thereafter Rahane and Pujara stitched 165 runs together as the Aussie bowlers failed to repeat their first-innings performance. Rahane remained unbeaten on a classy 113 (141b; 18x4, 1x6), clobbering the Aussie spinners, while Pujara justified his selection in the Test squad by scoring 52 with the help of nine boundaries.

Brief scores: Australians 505/8 decl (Watson 115, Katich 104 retd*, North 124 retd*) and 187/6 decl (Watson 104*, Chawla 3-64) drew with Board President's XI 177 (Chawla 82, Hilfenhaus 5-47) and 174 for 0 (Rahane 113*, Pujara 52*)

TOI

Harbhajan Singh doubtful for Mohali Test

MOHALI: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been advised rest by doctors here following a MRI test done on him for a calf injury on Monday evening.

Though the Indian cricket team management has not yet taken a decision, Harbhajan Singh could be a doubtful starter for the first Test match of the India- Australia Test series beginning at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here October 1.

The bowler had come to the Fortis Hospital here after he felt some discomfort due to a calf injury after the practice session with other team mates, hospital sources said.

After initial examination, he underwent the MRI test following which he was advised rest for the next few days, the hospital sources added.

TOI

ICC unhappy with Tony Hill's comments

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rebuked New Zealand umpire Tony Hill for publicly airing his belief that Pakistan players deliberately bowled no-balls, a report said Friday.

Hill and compatriot Billy Bowden officiated in Pakistan's Test against England at Lord's last month, which is at the centre of newspaper allegations of a betting scam in which no-balls were bowled to order.

Hill told Wellington's Dominion Post this week that he suspected Pakistan bowlers sent down no-balls on purpose against England last month but did not link the tactic to corruption.

Radio New Zealand on Friday said the ICC had reprimanded Hill over his comments and told him not to discuss the matter further until investigations were complete.

The ICC has suspended Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer as it investigates the corruption claims, first published in Britain's News of the World newspaper.

Hill told the Dominion Post that during the match he and Bowden discussed the possibility that Aamer and Asif were deliberately bowling no-balls by overstepping the crease.

But he said they thought it was simply a tactic to unsettle in-form England batsman Jonathan Trott, rather than anything to do with betting.

AFP

BCCI admits Pathan approached by a stranger

NEW DELHI: The Cricket Board on Friday admitted that Irfan Pathan was approached by a "stranger" a few years back and said the discarded pacer had done the right thing by informing it to the team manager.

Pathan did not disclose when exactly the incident happened and which team he was playing against at that time but said expensive gifts were sent to his hotel room during a series, reportedly in Pakistan in 2006, and he brought the matter to the team manager's notice.

"I was in a team hotel when a stranger approached me. He sent three expensive gifts to my room. He later sent me two more expensive gifts. I thought it was wrong as I didn't know this person. I reported to the team manager who then alerted the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit Officer," Pathan said.

BCCI Finance and Media Committee Chairman Rajiv Shukla said Pathan had done the right thing by informing the matter to the team management.

"That's the normal procedure. What he (Pathan) had done was a normal procedure," Shukla said when asked about this.

"If any stranger approaches any player they should be very careful. I think Irfan has done the right thing (by reporting to the team management," he added.

Shukla said that Indian players have been given awareness sessions by the ICC ACSU on how to go about it if they are approached by strangers.

"We keep on organising sessions by ICC Anti-Corruption Unit for the benefit of players. There they are taught that they should be away from such things ... if any stranger approaches them to offer some consideration ... they should maintain a distance from that person and report it (to the team management)," said Shukla.

"Players worldwide can be approached but it is the players job to maintain distance from these people," he said.

Pathan said he never saw the "stranger" again and is proud to have reported the matter to the concerned authorities promptly.

"I haven't seen the stranger since then. I think I have done the right thing and I am proud of it. As a player you are expected to report any such thing as per the code of conduct," said the 25-year-old, whose last Test appearance for India was in April 2008 against South Africa.

Pathan's disclosures came amid the raging spot-fixing controversy which has led to the suspension of the Pakistani trio of Test skipper Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.

The three players were provisionally suspended by the ICC for allegedly conspiring to bowl no balls to order during the Lord's Test against England last month.

TOI

Bopanna loses thrilling five-setter to Bellucci

CHENNAI: Rohan Bopanna let slip a famous win out of his hands as he squandered three match points to lose the marathon first singles to world number 27 Thomaz Bellucci on the opening day of the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie on Friday.

Coming into the tie after his amazing run at the US Open, Bopanna almost had the match in his pocket but nerves got the better of him as he lost 7-6 (2), 6-7 (7), 5-7, 6-4, 10-8 after slogging for four-and-a-half hours.

With Bopanna's defeat, India have conceded a 1-0 lead and now Somdev Devvarman will have to win the second singles against Ricardo Melo to save the day for the hosts.

Bellucci, who struggled with his first serve throughout, braved cramps and turned it around amazingly for Brazil, justifying his top-30 rank and also saving himself from an embarrassing defeat against a player, who is ranked 479.

With a comfortable 5-2 lead in the final set, Bopanna had three match points in game eight but squandered all as the big moment overwhelmed him.

Bopanna was egged on by his teammates and little crowd in attendance but never recovered from the setback and dropped his serve in the next game.

His confidence, with which he dominated his superior ranked early on, gradually waned away and another break of serve in the 17th game ended all his hopes.

Before that Bopanna was comfortably placed to win the second set tie-break as he was up 5-2 but allowed Bellucci to make a comeback and lost the set.

At the start, Bopanna used his lethal serve and big strokes quite effectively and was also aided by some erratic shot-making by lean-built Bellucci.

Left-handed Bellucci was erratic with his serve and paid a big price, as it had a bearing on the outcome of the first set.

Bopanna, mostly playing from the baseline and approaching the net occasionally, did not concede much points on his serve which was too hot to handle for the Brazilian.

Bopanna created two break opportunities in the first set - second and sixth games - but could not convert any as he tried too hard, looking over-anxious on those big points.

Bellucci got into the groove gradually but there was hardly a long rally as both the players fetched points with their serve game.

With no player able to garner a break, the first set was stretched to a tie break in which the Indian shot to a comfortable 5-1 lead when Bellucci committed two double faults. Those were unpardonable errors and Bopanna latched on the opportunity to take lead.

The second set could not have started in a better way for Bopanna as he cashed in on the second breakpoint to get the first break of the match.

However, a string of unforced errors by Bopanna gave Bellucci a chance to break back and the Brazilian accepted the offer gleefully.

Bopanna, down 4-5, saved a set-point in the 10th game but failed to convert any of the three chances in the next game, forcing another tie-break to break the deadlock.

It was a seesaw tie-break as Bopanna was all over Bellucci with a comfortable 5-2 lead but the Brazilian turned it around amazingly by saving three set points and went on to win it, bringing the match to level terms.

Having made a comeback, Bellucci grew in confidence and got a mini-break by breaking Bopanna in the first game of the third set and held his serve in the next.

Two silly mistakes almost cost Belluci the set when he failed to put ball in an open court on his first set-point and then fumbled on an attempted drop shot.

Another unforced error handed Bopanna the crucial break, making the scoreline 5-5 but the Indian dropped the next game to trail again.

Having escaped the turnaround, Bellucci wrapped up the set on his serve to take a 2-1 lead.

Another feeble attempt by Bellucci to play a drop shot handed Bopanna all important breakpoint in the 10th game in the fourth set and the Indian hit a stunning backhand winner to make it two-set all.

Bopanna rode on a double break to create a 4-1 lead in the decisive set but still ended on the wrong side of the result.

TOI

Mary Kom continues to shine at World Championships

BRIDGETOWN: MC Mary Kom (48kg) remained firmly on course for a historic fifth successive gold by advancing to the semifinals along with Kavita (+81kg) to assure India of two medals in the sixth Women's World Championships.

Mary Kom beat Lynsey Holdaway from Wales 9-2 in the quarter-final to set up a clash with Alice Appari of the Philippines, whom she had beaten in their only face off six years ago.

The mother-of-two from Manipur took a narrow 2-1 lead in the opening round and built on it in the next two rounds to be 6-2 ahead by the third round. In the final round, Mary Kom launched an all-out attack to seal the issue in her favour.

"It was not all that tough for me. I had never faced her before but didn't have to slog too much. So far so good," the 27-year-old said after the bout.

"Despite the increased competition, I think I can still dominate my category. I am not bragging but it hasn't been very tough for me despite the fact that I have already played three rounds. My body is also feeling great," she said.

Talking about her next-round opponent, Mary Kom, who was conferred the Khel Ratna award last year, said, "I know this girl. I beat her in 2004 and hopefully even this time I would win. I will try my best. I have my fingers crossed for a fifth consecutive gold."

Dubbed 'Magnificent Mary' by the International Boxing Association, the Indian has the unique feat of having won a medal in each of the previous World Championships. She was silver-medallist in the inaugural edition and has not settled for anything less then a gold after that.

Among other Indians, Kavita too advanced to the semifinals by beating Adriana Hosu of Romania 9-6. She will face Kateryna Kuzhel of the Ukraine in the last-four stage on Friday.

But there was disappointment as well, with Laxmi Padiya (81kg) losing 4-18 to Kazakh Marina Volnova on Wednesday night.

The current edition of the World Championship features 72 countries. The increased competition has hit 2006 overall champions India rather hard with just two medals assured this time.

TOI

Andrew Flintoff retires from all forms of cricket

LONDON: Andrew Flintoff announced on Thursday his retirement from all cricket in a statement released by the player's management company.

"It is with both disappointment and sadness that I am today (Thursday) announcing my retirement from all forms of cricket," former England captain Flintoff said in a statement released by International Sports Management.

"The decision to end my career came yesterday (Wednesday) after consultation with medical advisers," added the 32-year-old all-rounder, who quit the Test format after helping England regain the Ashes last year.

"I was told that the problems I have been trying to overcome in re-hab for the last year following the latest in a series of operations would not recover sufficiently to allow a comeback.

"Having been told that my body would no longer stand up to the rigours of cricket, I had no alternative but to retire.

"I would like to thank my family, Lancashire Cricket Club, England, all my sponsors, friends and advisers for all the help and support they have given me throughout my career.

"Last, but by no means least, I am indebted to the encouragement and support I have always received from England's magnificent supporters."

Flintoff, who has been widely tipped to follow the path of fellow ex-England skippers Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan by pursuing a media career, added: "I will now be taking a break before deciding which future direction to take."

TOI

Desperate Mumbai face Guyana in must-win game

Stunned by two back-to-back defeats, Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians will be desperate to find their winning ways when they take on a low-profile Guyana in a Champions League Group B match here on Thursday.

The IPL runner-up side had a forgettable start in the show-piece event as they first went down to Lions by just nine runs in the tournament-opener and then fell prey to South Australia, who comprehensively beat them by five wickets on Tuesday.

The two consecutive defeats has put the Mumbai team on the brink of an early elimination and it will now need an inspired effort from Tendulkar and his men to bounce back.

Their performance have only showed a downward graph and although Tendulkar tried his best to lead from the front, he is yet to instill the confidence among his teammates.

After a breezy 62-ball 69 in the first match, Tendulkar failed to deliver yesterday while the so-called strong batting order of Mumbai failed to provide much resistance against the South Australia attack.

lthough Guyana bowling department does not have any big names, Mumbai batting order, including South African J P Duminy and hard-hitting West Indian Kieron Pollard, have to show more consistency tomorrow and in their coming encounters as well.

Young batsman Sourav Tiwary cracked a brilliant 44 off 36 balls on Tuesday and the team would expect another good knock from the talented Jharkhand guy on Thursday.

In bowling department Mumbai's new-ball pair of Zaheer Khan and Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga have to live upto expectation.

Zaheer scalped one wicket in the last match but was too expensive, while his India teammate and seasoned off-spinner Harbhajan Singh also proved quite ineffective against South Australia.

Guyana have also lost their campaign-opener to another IPL side Royal Challenger Bangalore by nine wickets and will find Mumbai Indians a tough nut to crack.

Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan is the only big name in their batting line-up which somehow managed to cross 100-run mark against RCB's mighty bowling attack.

But Mumbai is unlikely to take the West Indian side lightly because the players like Christopher Barnwell, who helped Guyana to cross 100-run mark with a 54-ball 30, and Sewnarine Chattergoon are capable of changing the equation of any match just in a few overs.

But support from the lower-middle order including Esuan Crandon, Jonathan Foo and Derwin Christian will also play crucial role.

http://www.indianexpress.com

India take on Brazil to reclaim berth in Davis Cup

India will look to exploit a favourable surface, weather conditions and form of its players to reclaim a berth in the Davis Cup World Group as the hosts take on formidable Brazil in the play-off tie here from tomorrow.

India came to this tie after losing the World Group first round to Russia in March this year while Brazil whitewashed Uruguay 5-0 in the Americas Zone group I semifinals in May.

India have tasted success consistently in the Asia-Oceania Group and went on to break the World Group jinx after 11 years following a win over South Africa in 2009.

Brazil, a clay court specialist nation, last played in World Group in 2003 against Sweden and have been trying ever since to make it to the elite club.

September has been an unlucky month in the last few years for them as they lost to Ecuador, Croatia, Austria and Sweden in the play-off ties.

Traditionally India have chosen grass courts to host a Davis Cup tie but due to liking of Somdev Devvarman, its best singles players currently, it preferred hard courts for the tie, first at home in two years.

The last time India hosted a tie on a non-grass surface was in 1979 when it played against Australia on clay.

Comparing the two sides ranking wise, India do not have a single top-100 player with Somdev being the best at 113 and Rohan Bopanna a distant 479 but the doubles team Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi is undoubtedly a class apart, unbeaten in the last 23 ties. Paes will, infact, mark 20 years in the Davis Cup circuit when he takes the court on Saturday.

Brazil boast world number 27 Thomaz Belluci and 75th ranked Ricardo Mello and also have a solid doubles team in Bruno Soares and Marcelo Melo, who are ranked 16th.

Yet, a few things go in favour of India as its players, specially Somdev, have done exceedingly well on hard courts to turn the ties in his team’s favour while Brazil have not won a Davis Cup tie on hard court since 1991 and have played on the surface just eight times in its 62-year history.

The rankings may show a wide gulf between the players of the two nations, but Somdev and Bopanna have time and again proved their disdain for them.

Bopanna, despite concentrating more on doubles, has done well in Davis Cup singles of late. In India’s WG play-off win over South Africa, Bopanna had played an important role by beating Rik De Voest.

In the lost tie against Russia, the only singles win came from Bopanna when he beat Teimuraz Gabashvili.

His confidence, after a historic performance at the just concluded US Open will also be sky high.

Somdev on his day can beat any player in the world, hence despite having superiorly ranked players, Brazil will face a tough job.

Adding to their disadvantage would be the hot and humid conditions here.

In the end, it will be an intense tie in which both teams will go with equal chances to win. The losing team will play its respective Zone in 2011.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/

Hyderabad ready to host NZ test

Hyderabad has reportedly said it is ready to host the test match between India and New Zealand after both Kanpur and Kolkata said they will not be able to stage the test match.

The second test match of the three test series will be played from November 12 to the 16th. The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has staged three ODIs since 2005 and was conferred Test status by the BCCI and the ICC in June this year.

Kanpur was originally scheduled to host the test match, but withdrew citing construction of a 10,000 seater stand. Kolkata's Eden Gardens then said it would not be able to host the match as renovation work was going on for next year's World Cup.

Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president, Arshad Ayub said "Hyderabad would certainly and absolutely be ready to stage the India-New Zealand Test. We haven't been contacted, but I believe the BCCI may be considering it".

Ayub said Hyderabad was "already in the line" to host a Test as it wrote to the BCCI asking to be allotted one, depending on, "the rotation of the Test match grounds or whose turn it was."

On the 4th of December, the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium will host an ODI between the 2 countries Ayub said the prospect of hosting two international matches within the space of three weeks was, "not a problem at all".

The two confirmed venues for the India-New Zealand Test series are Ahmedabad (November 4 to 8) and Nagpur (November 20 to 24). Scheduling issues have been ongoing since starting in July when the Mumbai Cricket Association said no staging the third Test, due to the renovation of the Wankhede Stadium for the World Cup in July, followed by Kanpur's constructions problems and Kolkata's refusal to host the match.

ICC recommends Test league

The ICC Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) met in Cape Town on Monday and Tuesday with the following results.

Context and Content of International Cricket, schedule of ICC events post-2015 and the proposed Future Tours Programme 2012-2020.

The CEC endorsed a series of recommendations from a CEC working group which was set up to identify ways of introducing context for international cricket within the Future Tours Programme (FTP) after 2012 and also to consider future ICC events.

Coming from this meeting, the CEC will make some key recommendations to the ICC Board to consider. They are:

1) The FTP should consist of a Test league to provide context for all Test matches. The league would determine the top four teams to qualify for an ICC Test play-off.

2)The play-off should be held once every four years to determine the Test champion team with a request to hold the first such play-off in 2013.

3)The FTP should also consist of a One-Day International league, the first to run from April 2011 until April 2014, culminating in the crowning of an ODI league champion. This would run separate to the ICC Cricket World Cup.

4)That the ICC Board should consider a 10-team format for the ICC's flagship event, the ICC Cricket World Cup, from 2015.

5)That the ICC Board should consider a 16-team format for the men's ICC World Twenty20 from 2012, with the women's event continuing to run alongside.

6)The introduction of Twenty20 International rankings table as soon as this is justifiable.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "I am really excited by what the CEC has proposed.

"Restructuring international cricket is a significant strategic challenge and one that must be dealt with. I am grateful to the CEC and its working group for making such far-reaching proposals to tackle this important issue.

"Achieving balance and unanimous agreement is not easy but it is a very important piece of work that requires a strategic response. The holistic set of proposals, especially introducing more meaningful context, means we now have the potential to follow international cricket that is even more exciting.

"Protecting and promoting all three formats at international level is viable and I believe the CEC has shown itself to be forward thinking in tackling the challenges. I am now encouraged to engage with the ICC Executive Board to consider these proposals as soon as possible."

Bad light

The CEC continues to support the promotion of Test cricket by promoting initiatives to enhance play. In this regard, the CEC received a clarification from David Richardson (ICC General Manager - Cricket) following recent discussions at the Elite Umpires and Match Referees Seminar on the question of when players should leave the field due to bad light.

Mr Richardson said: "There is a clear instruction to match officials that the players should only go off the field when conditions are considered dangerous or unreasonable. In addition, players should not go off the field when the ground floodlights are switched on and these were deemed before the series to be adequate."

Balance between bat and ball

The CEC also discussed the need to ensure that Test match pitches provide a fair balance between bat and ball and approved a revised guideline to the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Mr Lorgat said: "In recent years there have been many more results in Test matches but there are still a few instances where the pitches do not provide a fair balance between bat and ball. This must be addressed to ensure that the enduring charm and attraction of Test match cricket is not endangered by pitches which do not produce a true contest."

Additional update reports

The CEC received a detailed progress report on preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, including the release of the next phase of match tickets on 15 October.

Mr Lorgat said: "It is satisfying to see all the hard work undertaken by the host nations paying off. I am not expecting the ICC final inspections to reveal any significant concerns."

The CEC also received an update presentation on the progress in developing the ICC Strategic Plan 2011-15.

© ICC