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The penalty by the Competition Commission of India centred around the board’s assurance to IPL broadcasters that it would not sanction, recognise or support another Indian T20 League competitive to the IPL for a sustained period of ten years

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-20171:50

Why did BCCI invite fine from CCI?

The BCCI has been slapped with a fine of INR 52.24 crore by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the country’s fair trade regulator, for “anticompetitive conduct”. The fine is specifically linked to the board’s broadcast deal for the Indian Premier League (IPL), centred around the BCCI’s assurance to broadcasters that, essentially, they will not allow or support any other domestic Indian T20 competition to emerge as a rival.According to the CCI, the BCCI has given an assurance to the broadcasters that it “shall not organize, sanction, recognize, or support another professional domestic Indian T20 competition that is competitive to IPL, for a sustained period of ten years.” The CCI deems this to be in contravention of the provisions of Section 4(1) read with Section 4(2)(c) of the Competition Act, 2002.According to , the CCI, in a 44-page order on Wednesday, directed the BCCI to “cease and desist” from indulging in a manner that contravened these provisions. It said the BCCI couldn’t place “blanket restrictions” on the organisation of professional domestic leagues or events by non-members.”The assessment of the Commission clearly brings out that the impugned clause in the IPL (Indian Premier League) Media Rights Agreement has been pursued by BCCI consciously to protect the commercial interest of the bidders of broadcasting rights as well as the economic interest of BCCI,” the order said.However, the CCI added that BCCI will not be stopped from stipulating conditions while laying down the rules for approval of a T20 league. The BCCI, the CCI said, would need to clarify the rules applicable for professional domestic leagues organised by members of the board or by third parties.”Besides, BCCI shall take all possible measure(s) to ensure that competition is not impeded while preserving the objective of development of cricket in the country,” the order said. The CCI has also asked the BCCI to file a report on its compliance within 60 days.The contention that the BCCI was a not-for-profit organisation was not a mitigating factor, according to the CCI. Noting that denial of market access is one of the most severe forms of abuse of a dominant position, the CCI didn’t find merit in the argument that there was no instance of refusal to any proposal for conduct of domestic leagues similar to the IPL.”After assuming monopoly of IPL for a sustained period of ten years by excluding all potential competition, there is no reason for BCCI or anyone to expect a proposal for organisation of a similar league,” the order said.In February 2013, the CCI penalised the BCCI for an identical sum of money, but that penalty was set aside by the Competition Appellate Tribunal in February 2015. Subsequently, the regulator had directed its investigation arm to probe further.Those investigations produced a report filed in March 2016 and it was only after taking stock of the report as well as submissions by the board that the CCI passed this latest order. The CCI said the penalty of INR 52.24 crore amounts to roughly 4.48 % of the average of the BCCI’s turnover in the last three financial years. The average turnover of INR 1,164.7 crore is for the financial years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Tired, drawn and stung by defeat, Joe Root is adamant he would love another crack at the England captaincy in Australia in four years’ time

George Dobell in Sydney02-Jan-2018Joe Root believes he is the man to captain England on their next Ashes tour in four-year’s time.While Root has been stung by the pain of defeat, he believes the lessons he has learned will stand him in good stead when the side returns to Australia. And, just as he now views being dropped from the Sydney Test at the end of the 2013-14 Ashes as “one of the best things that ever happened to me,” he now feels he has “gained a lot” from the experience of this series that will prove beneficial in the future.”Of course I want to captain England here in four years,” Root said. “Yes, it’s been a long trip with stuff that you don’t want to have to deal with on occasions but I think I’ve gained a lot from that.”I’m looking forward to the different challenges that will present themselves after this trip. I want us to be the best side in the world and that’s not going to happen overnight.”Among the lessons Root says he has learned is the requirement for more pace and spin in England’s attack and the need for England’s batsmen to make far greater contributions. And while he remains hugely respectful of the skills James Anderson offers England, he knows they cannot continue to rely upon a bowler who is now 35 years-old and almost certainly playing his final Test in Australia in the coming days.

Root on…

Moeen Ali: “I’m not worried about Mo. He’s a fine player and I’m sure he’ll play a lot more cricket for England. Over the summer he was one of the most instrumental parts of our team with bat and ball. He has struggled a bit on this trip but, technically I don’t think there’s a huge amount he needs to work on. When someone is going through a tough period it’s important as a squad that you remember how valuable he has been and what he’s capable of doing.”
Playing in the IPL: “I’ll think about that after this series. I know there are deadlines to meet, but it’s most important that I spend all my time and energy on this last game.”
The ball-tampering allegations: “That was ridiculous. You know when you come to Australia, you’re playing against everyone, not just the 11 guys on the field. It’s important that next time we get here we know exactly what to expect in terms of the media barrage or, as Trevor Bayliss said the other day, the ‘Pommie bashing’ from the Australian press. You have to make sure that you’re very switched on to the way they operate.”

“Let’s be honest, there are going to be certain changes in the seam-bowling department in four years’ time unless we’re rolling Jimmy Anderson out at 40 or whatever he’s going to be,” Root said. “An extra bit of pace could be very important next time round. Having someone like Mark Wood fit for a long period of time could be very useful.”We’ve also seen how crucial the spin department can be over here, so we have to make sure it is as strong as it can be. And, as a batting group, we’ve got to be prepared to bat for long, long periods of time.”No captain in modern times has led England in successive away Ashes series (Mike Brearley led England in two away Test series against Australia, but only one was granted Ashes status) but Root, who celebrated his 27th birthday on the last day of the Melbourne Test, has the time and, it seems, the energy to try again in four years. So while some critics – notably Graeme Swann – have suggested England are compromising Root’s effectiveness as a batsman by burdening him with leadership, Root himself is adamant that the example of Steve Smith has inspired him to lead from the front in similar fashion.”You see that and you want to be the one doing it,” Root said. “Smith has probably been the difference between the teams. Take his runs out of it and we’ve been there or thereabouts to win.”So credit to him. He’s played exceptionally well. But it’s a little lesson to me on leading from the front.”Root’s previous experiences in Sydney – he was dropped at the end of the 2013-14 series as England gave debuts to three players – not only inspired him to work harder than ever to regain his place, but taught him that “chucking guys in for the last game of a series” was no way to improve the side. Scott Borthwick, Boyd Rankin and Gary Ballance all made their Test debuts in Sydney in 2014, with only Ballance going on to play another Test for England.”Being dropped made a big impact on my career,” Root said. “Being left out was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”Coming back into the team you have a slightly different view on things. You go away and give yourself the opportunity to work extremely hard on areas you want to look at. You have a different drive and determination moving forward.”Once you have played for England, you never want to do anything else. You don’t want to just play county cricket. You want to be in and around international cricket for as long as you can. It’s very easy to get that determination and drive to see where you need to get back to.”But we’re not going to improve by chucking guys in for the last game of a series. It’s really important that next time we come here, we don’t look at it in a daunted way, or feel like there’s a massive gap between the two sides, because if we do things in the right way we’ve got a really good chance next time round.”It’s really important that we start look at what we have to do now and not too far down the line. The planning for it has to start now.”

As has often been the case with Mathews, his recovery from a hamstring injury is taking longer that what the team management had initially forecast

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Feb-20183:18

The Angelo Mathews story

The hamstring complaint that forced Angelo Mathews out of the tri-nation series in Bangladesh after one match will in fact keep him out of the entire Bangladesh tour. As has often been the case with Mathews, this injury is taking longer to recover from than team management had initially forecast.It was earlier suggested that Mathews could’ve been fit enough to play in the ongoing Test series, but it is now confirmed that the team is merely hopeful that he will even be available for next month’s Nidahas Trophy – a T20 tri-series also involving Bangladesh and India.The Bangladesh tour was the third-consecutive overseas tour Mathews has withdrawn from with a hamstring injury, having also done so last year in South Africa and India. In 2016, he had missed a full tour of Zimbabwe with “multiple leg injuries” as well.Mathews’ withdrawal from the Test squad is unlikely to cause major consternation, as the top six from the Chittagong Test is likely to be retained. His absence from the T20s, however, presents more of a problem. Mathews was reinstated as limited-overs captain in January, after a six-month hiatus. While in ODI cricket Dinesh Chandimal was an obvious replacement as leader, Chandimal may not make the T20 side. Sri Lanka may perhaps look at Thisara Perera as a captaincy option once again.Sri Lanka play two T20s against Bangladesh, once the Tests conclude. The Nidahas Trophy begins on March 8.

Despite the 222-run win, the defending champions are no longer in contention for the knockouts

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2018Alick Athanaze pulls one away•IDI/Getty

Defending champions West Indies prevailed over Kenya in a one-sided contest in Lincoln, registering a 222-run win – their first in three games this tournament – courtesy Alick Athanaze’s unbeaten 116, and a combined nine wickets between Bhaskar Yadram and Jeavor Royal. Despite the two points, West Indies are no longer in contention for a knockout berth as hosts New Zealand and South Africa lead them on the points table.West Indies got off to a solid start after opting to bat, thanks to a quickfire fifty from Kimani Melius (60 off 45). His opening partner Keagan Simmons’ dismissal in the 15th over, however, led to the side losing their top three for four runs within the space of eight deliveries. Kenya, on their part, failed to capitalise on the quick wickets, allowing Athanaze and Kirstan Kallicharan to hoist West Indies to 150 via a 68-run partnership. While Athanaze motored on, having struck an unbeaten 76 in the previous game, the lower-order duo of Royal and Nyeem Young chipped in with 24 and 57 respectively to help their side finish on 318 for 7. Aveet Desai, the pick of the Kenya bowlers, finished with figures of 3 for 54.Subsequently, it took West Indies all of 24.4 overs to skittle the Kenya line-up with left-arm spinner Royal taking 4 for 25 in his 7.4 overs and Yadram ending with 5 for 18 from his seven overs. Only three of the Kenya batsmen mustered double-digit scores, with opener Aman Gandhi top-scoring with 37.

SLC is looking at next month’s Nidahas Trophy as a testing ground of sorts for maximising Sri Lankan cricket’s international exposure, ahead of the launch of any domestic T20 league

Madushka Balasuriya08-Feb-2018Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed that an IPL-style T20 tournament in Sri Lanka is in the offing, with the board stating that plans are underway to resurrect the Sri Lankan premier league later this year.SLC, meanwhile, is looking at next month’s Nidahas Trophy as a testing ground of sorts for maximising Sri Lankan cricket’s international exposure, ahead of the launch of any domestic T20 league.”We believe we have the best package, we’ve got the best formula, we’ve got the best position to present the next Lankan premier league,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “The Nidahas Trophy is going to give us that platform, the The Nidahas Trophy is going to give us the place where we have never ever seen our country’s cricket being positioned in the global market.”The Nidahas Trophy, which is being held to commemorate Sri Lanka’s 70th year of independence, will see Bangladesh and India take part alongside Sri Lanka in a T20 tri-series from March 6 to 18. As the tournament is outside of ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP), for the first time since 2004 SLC have independently negotiated media and broadcasting rights. The series is expected to be broadcast in over 150 countries both terrestrially and digitally, resulting in the largest ever viewership for a tournament hosted by the SLC.DSports and Channel 9 have been granted broadcasting and media rights for India and Bangladesh respectively, while ITW will be streaming the tournament live online to 150 countries.”Digital markets have never been exploited by Sri Lanka before, but now we have secured the digital rights separately,” Sumathipala said. “So we are getting worldwide, world-class platforms, taking Sri Lankan cricket into your mobile phone, into your home, in an unprecedented network of expansion.”The territories and areas that we’re going with this tournament we have never ever been to before. This tournament will be viewed, listened, and read by more than any tournament ever held in Sri Lanka. This tournament is going to have a huge presence globally, and as a result of that you will see more and more people will want to be partnering Sri Lankan Cricket in years to come.”Aiding SLC in this endeavour is sports marketing agency Lagardère Sports Asia, who, according to talks within the executive committee of SLC, may be retained for offering their services for any proposed Sri Lankan premier league.”We’re in discussions at the moment, but our matter in hand at the moment is the Nidahas Trophy, which we still have several aspects to finalise,” Sumathipala said.

Shiv Thakor will not return to cricket in England for at least a year after admitting a charge of bringing the game into disrepute

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2018Shiv Thakor, the former Leicestershire and Derbyshire cricketer, has been banned by an ECB disciplinary committee from playing cricket for six months – three of them suspended – for bringing the game into disrepute.Thakor pleaded guilty to the charge following his conviction for indecent exposure at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court in November 2017.Although, in theory, he might be free to resume his first-class career next season, it is questionable whether any county would be willing to give him a further opportunity.The ECB panel imposed a suspension of six months from playing cricket in any match under its jurisdiction. Three months of this suspension will take effect from April 1 to June 30 and the balance was suspended “pending satisfactory completion of his court-imposed Community Order including the Community Sex Offender Groupwork Programme.”This suspended sentence will remain in place until completion of the Community Order and, if subsequently imposed, will be served during the English cricket season.The CDC panel recorded that it had taken into account Thakor’s guilty plea to the ECB charge, his undertaking to complete his Community Order, and the period of suspension imposed by Derbyshire before they sacked him in November after the guilty verdict.Thakor, a former England under-19 captain, exposed himself through a “gap” in his jogging bottoms. He was arrested in July after the two offences in Mackworth, Derby, last June.The ECB decision was made following a Cricket Discipline Commission hearing at Lord’s chaired by Ricky Needham, the former Glamorgan cricketer, and also comprising Eddie Slinger and the former England women’s cricketer, Claire Taylor.In reaching its sentencing decision, the panel said that it also took into account that “clear reputational damage had been done to the game due to widespread adverse publicity” as well as the nature of Mr Thakor’s criminal conviction.

The visitors went 0-4 down, even as Lizelle Lee became only the third South African woman to cross the 2000-run mark in ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2018Gallo Images

South Africa waltzed to their fourth successive big victory of the ODI series, bundling out Bangladesh for 76 after posting 230. All of their bowlers kept a tight leash on the visitors, and each of the six who bowled in the game got at least one wicket. Their total was build on fifties from opener Lizelle Lee and No. 6 Chloe Tryon.South Africa chose to bat and their openers, Lee and Laura Wolvaardt, laid a platform with 72 – even if the runs did not come too quickly. While Wolvaardt was out in the 21st over to Bangladesh’s most successful bowler on the day, left-arm spinner Nahida Akter, Lee carried on, accumulating runs at a steady pace to finish with 70 off 102 with nine fours.Just when it looked like South Africa might still struggle to get past 200, given their pace of scoring, Tryon blasted off. She came in with the score at 139 for 4 with 14.1 overs to go in the innings. South Africa got 91 off those remaining 85 balls, with Tryon setting the pace; in all, she hit six fours and two sixes in her 60 off 42.Chasing 231, Bangladesh never seemed in the game; apart from losing wickets at quick intervals, none of their batsmen could even touch a strike rate of 50 per hundred balls. Their top scorer was Fargana Hoque, with 22 runs off 48, with one four and a strike rate of 45.83. South Africa’s bowlers all kept a tight leash on the opposition, and shared the wickets around. New-ball bowler Shabnim Ismail (7-1-8-2) and offspinner Raisibe Ntozakhe (7-2-10-2) had the most-impressive figures of the lot.South Africa’s victory aside, Lee also had personal reasons to celebrate at the end of the day; in making her 70, she became only the third South African woman to cross the 2000-run mark in ODIs, behind Mignon du Preez and Trisha Chetty.

Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach shared nine wickets as West Indies took the first-day honours

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Jun-2018Stumps CWI Media/Randy Brooks

Shannon Gabriel delivered a brutal spell with the new ball, then later came back to blast out the middle order to take 5 for 59. Dinesh Chandimal hit a terrific 119 not out off 185 balls, but had little support from the rest of the batting order. The result: another day dominated by West Indies, who shot the opposition out for 253, before their openers survived the two overs before stumps unscathed. The Gros Islet surface rewarded seam bowling, but had largely appeared decent for batting. In fact, Sri Lanka had chosen to bat first, expecting big runs.It was Gabriel’s early spell that defined the day. Second ball, he squared up debutant Mahela Udawatte, who sent a low catch toward third slip, where Jason Holder completed an excellent, diving low-take. Two overs late, after a confident Dhananjaya de Silva had hit two square boundaries off Gabriel’s short balls, he claimed de Silva’s wicket with a beauty. Having the ball jag towards the right-hander off a back-of-a-length, Gabriel struck de Silva on the forearm, watched the ball ricochet into the stumps, he gloated as he jogged past the injured batsman. De Silva had to be walked off the ground by a physio holding an ice pack, but although there were initial fears that a bone could have been fractured, X-rays have cleared de Silva of any serious injury, team manager Asanka Gurusinha said. As his arm is merely bruised, de Silva is likely to bat again in the second innings.Gabriel took three more wickets, in much later spells. He had a length ball leap at Roshen Silva, who could only edge it to Holder again, at third slip. He drew Niroshan Dickwella into a drive and had him caught in the gully. Finally, he fired one in at the pads of Suranga Lakmal, who could not get his bat in the way, and was standing right in front of the stumps. This was Gabriel’s third five-wicket haul, the other two having come against Pakistan.Chandimal’s hundred was in some ways predictable, though given the manner in which the remainder of the batting order folded, it was invaluable as well. He hit all but one of his fours behind square, but was proactive when there were singles or twos for the taking. It was not a whirlwind innings like, his knock against India in 2015. It wasn’t a stonewall, like his century in Abu Dhabi last year. This was something in the middle, and in this game, that is what his teammates needed. He had had two clear reprieves in the innings though. On 14, he was dropped by Devon Smith at second slip, off the bowling of Miguel Cummins. On 119, he top-edged a flick to the man at point, only for bowler Kemar Roach to have been shown to have overstepped. Towards the end of the innings, he even launched Roach over long off for six.Elsewhere, West Indies’ bowlers ran rampant. Kusal Mendis had batted alluringly for 45, before trying a swat off his hips, which ended up looping into the air, to be caught by wicketkeeper Dowrich as he ran towards square leg. Holder was the bowler. Later in the day, Roach knocked out Nos. 10 and 11 in quick time, finishing with 4 for 49 himself.Beyond Chandimal’s 67-run stand with Mendis, there were no fifty-plus associations among the Sri Lanka batsmen. Through the whole innings, only Mendis and Kusal Perera could cross 30. When their innings ended, West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Smith came to the crease, and saw out the final two overs.

The Worcestershire captain withdrew a run out appeal following a collision between batsman and bowler

ECB Reporters Network27-Jun-20181:57

Kent go top of Division Two

ScorecardWorcestershire face a tough challenge on the final day if they are to avoid defeat against Nottinghamshire in their day-night pink ball Specsavers County Championship match at Trent Bridge.Set to score an improbable 462, from a minimum of 113 overs, they reached the close of the third day unscathed on 43 without loss.They have been set a challenging target after Jake Libby had fluently progressed to the fifth century of his career. The 25-year old opener reached the landmark from 144 deliveries, with six fours, at which point the hosts declared their second innings closed on 249 for 4.Samit Patel, who made 76 in the first innings, scored 71 and shared in a second wicket stand of 121 with Libby.Earlier, Worcestershire’s first innings closed on 287 all out, with Ross Whiteley having made 76.At the start of the day, the home attack needed only 70 minutes to pick up the final three wickets but elected not to enforce the follow-on despite securing a first innings advantage of 212 runs.Harry Gurney took the first wicket to fall, thereby securing figures of 4 for 97. Chris Nash, with his first two wickets for the county, ended with 2 for 4.Whiteley took the early plaudits, clubbing two huge sixes in a 42-ball half century. The pugnacious left-hander eventually fell for 74, his highest first-class score for three years.Dillon Pennington, a 19-year old seamer on debut, dismissed Nash, who made a hundred on the first day and later added the scalp of Billy Root.During Patel’s innings he was reprieved by a great show of sportsmanship from the visiting captain, who threw down the stumps with the batsman stranded short of his ground.Patel had accidentally collided with bowler Whiteley and had his progress baulked. The umpires began conferring but Brett D’Oliveira quickly intervened and withdrew the appeal.An apparent rib injury to Ben Cox forced the Worcestershire keeper to hand over the gloves to Joe Clarke and leave the field.
Patel hit the spin of Ben Twohig into the hands of cover and then Ross Taylor, playing his final innings for Notts, was bowled by Daryl Mitchell for just one.Riki Wessels applied the necessary firepower to extend the lead over 450 and was unbeaten on 57 at the time of the declaration.Mitchell and Martin Guptill safely negotiated the tricky twilight stage at the end of the day and will begin anew in more favourable conditions on the final afternoon.

At 166 for 6 just after lunch, and a lead of just seven, Middlesex were slumping to defeat but now they have a chance of winning after following-on

ECB Reporters Network21-Aug-2018
ScorecardMax Holden and James Harris gave Middlesex hope of producing a remarkable turnaround against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. The pair added 121 for the seventh wicket on the third afternoon to help steer Middlesex to 374 for 9 following-on, leading by 215.At 166 for 6 just after lunch, and a lead of just seven, Middlesex were slumping to defeat. But Holden and Harris gathered themselves and began to work their side back into the game with careful, considered batting with the clouds parting and the zip from the surface easing.Holden led the resistance, simply happy to occupy the crease. He left the very ball well and nudged and flicked his way to an 83-ball fifty – his second of the summer – but it did include a sumptuous cover-drive, one of eight boundaries.Harris was a more jittery early on and cut and missed several times and edged Brett Hutton just short of first slip. But he too was prepared to ground it out and take the innings as deep as possible.Holden, on the ground where he spent a profitable loan spell last season, got to within six of a maiden Middlesex century against the second new ball but, agonisingly, drove loosely at Hutton and edged to second slip. He peeled himself from the field having undone all his hard work with a shot he had largely ignored for his previous 163 balls.After Holden fell, the lead was only 128 and Northants had ambitions to run through the lower order. But Harris wasn’t finished and went past his own half-century – a third in this year’s Championship – in 138 balls with seven fours.Harris managed to take Middlesex to the close, 79 not out, sharing a stand of 54 with 19-year-old Ethan Bamber on debut, and No. 11 Tim Murtagh then holding out to stumps.Such a recovery was beyond the ambitions of the most ardent Middlesex supporter as they slumped just after lunch with Northants again excellent with the ball. They took three wickets in three overs after an initially quiet 45 minutes play. Nathan Buck nipped a ball into Stevie Eskinazi to win an lbw decision before Rory Kleinveldt swung a ball into Dawid Malan to remove his off bail for just 5 and another to Eoin Morgan that trapped him lbw for a third-ball duck.Sam Robson battled away well for 11 cloudy overs on the second evening and went on to make 72 – his highest score of the season – before gloving a catch down the leg-side in the final over before lunch and when Robbie White was caught at slip for 5 after the break, the game was only heading one way.But Holden and Harris ensured Middlesex have a fighting chance of pulling off just a fifth first-class win when following-on. They were helped by the 56 extras Northants conceded – the most Northants have given Middlesex in a first-class innings – taking the match tally given by Northants to 93.