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Leicestershire continue to feel the effects of a tumultuous 2010 and have announced a loss of £404,862 for the year to September 30

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2011Leicestershire continue to feel the effects of a tumultuous 2010 and have announced a loss of £404,862 for the year to September 30. The county was beset with problems last summer, with the resignations of chief executive David Smith, senior coach Tim Boon and chairman Neil Davidson.”The results are bad but we have known for some time that costs have not been controlled and income from membership and Twenty20 was way down on budget,” said recently appointed chief executive Mike Siddall.”In almost every area costs are either over budget or income targets have not been achieved. The club needs rebuilding from the bottom and although we have a tough job on our hands it is far from an impossible task.”So far we have replaced our kit supplier, caterer, legal adviser and physiotherapy services provider and desperately need to upgrade our IT and financial systems.”The losses have had a detrimental effect on the club’s cash flow and Siddall added: “The position is serious and in order to guarantee the bank overdraft, the club needs to increase its commercial income significantly. We are continuing our discussions with Leicester City Council to see what can be done in order to relax the covenant the council has over the Grace Road ground. I am optimistic that a solution can be found to enable us to offer sufficient security to cover the facilities we require.””The board has been completely revamped and we have appointed a new company secretary,” added chairman Paul Haywood, who took over when Neil Davidson resigned in October. “Expertise has been brought in to help increase sponsorship and membership income. Costs are now under control and we have set a budget which should return the club to profit.”I am very optimistic for the future. Sponsors, including main club sponsor The Oval Group, are backing the club and sales of attractively priced membership packages have been good. We finished last season on a very positive note and skipper Matthew Hoggard and the team are really looking forward to the new season.”

Daniel Christian is in line to become the second player of Aboriginal heritage to play an international for Australia

Cricinfo staff17-Feb-2010Daniel Christian, the South Australia allrounder, is in line to become the second player of Aboriginal heritage to play an international for Australia after being selected in the Twenty20 squad to face West Indies. Christian will join Jason Gillespie, the former fast bowler, on the list if he appears in either of the games in Hobart on Sunday or Sydney on Tuesday.Michael Clarke leads the team that will also include the pace trio of Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes, which upset Pakistan during a tight victory last month. The selectors have been impressed by Christian’s power with the bat and effective medium pace in the domestic Twenty20 competition and picked him in a 14-man squad.”We continue to look at various options and the balance of the team leading into the World Twenty20,” the panel chairman Andrew Hilditch said. “We see Dan as an explosive allrounder who could have a good impact for us in Twenty20 internationals.”In three seasons of domestic Twenty20 action Christian has 230 runs at a strike-rate of 148.38 and taken 13 wickets in 16 games. He has also been in strong form for the Redbacks in the other competitions and last week took nine wickets and scored 71 in a Sheffield Shield win over Western Australia.Christian grew up in New South Wales and is a graduate of Cricket Australia’s indigenous cricket programme. He captained the national indigenous development squad during a tour of England last winter and is due to help them again later this year when they play Papua New Guinea.”I’m an Aboriginal man from the Wiradjuri tribe in New South Wales, that’s all through my Dad’s side of the family, and they’re all born and bred from down there,” he said in Adelaide. “I’ve grown up in that environment, and I’m an Aboriginal man … it is what it is.”Australia Twenty20 squad Shane Watson, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White, David Hussey, Travis Birt, Brad Haddin (wk), Steven Smith, Daniel Christian, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Dirk Nannes, Shaun Tait.

A slow Colombo pitch could bridge the gap between the two teams but only slightly

Madushka Balasuriya07-Oct-20252:40

Australia exude an attitude of ‘we know how to win this’

“We have an edge on this wicket. We’ve played two games here. Australia has not played any. But they have a lot of experienced players who have played cricket in most countries. The way they assess the game is better.” It was a pretty telling statement from Sidra Amin, ahead of Pakistan’s World Cup clash against Australia – an opponent they’ve never beaten before.While Pakistan have lost both matches they’ve played in Colombo, to Bangladesh and India, the prevailing school of thought is that the slowish conditions – ones that Australia are yet to experience at this tournament – might help bridge the gap between the two teams. But only slightly.”They have played all over the world. They know the conditions better,” Amin said. “They play the WBBLs and the Hundreds, and come and play in Asian conditions as well. They take preparation very seriously. I’ve heard they prepare for Asian conditions with indoor sessions with the temperature up to 35-40 degrees [Celsius]. So they can train that way as well.”Related

• Winless Pakistan have uphill task of facing near-invincible Australia

While women’s cricket has grown dramatically over the past few years, it’s grown faster for some than others. This discrepancy, in part, stems from the calibre of competition each side gets to face.In the three and a half years since the 2022 World Cup, Australia have actually played two fewer ODIs than Pakistan – 32 compared to 34. However, of those 32 games, 15 have come against India and England – among the tougher challenges in world cricket. Pakistan have played only four games against those two – seven if you include Australia themselves.Ellyse Perry: I think we all go out with the same approach, and that’s to be really positive•ICC/Getty Images

Beyond this, once you dive into the importance of a strong domestic structure, you begin to see clearly how Australia have evolved over the years. A point not lost on Ellyse Perry who, having debuted in 2007, has been part of two ODI World Cup-winning sides and has seen first-hand the fruits of investing in the women’s game.”I think we’re incredibly lucky,” she said. “We’ve got wonderful support back home in terms of the programmes that we’ve got. We’ve got a full-time domestic structure that breeds great depth in Australian cricket. We’re a cricket nation too that loves playing the game. So we’ve always, throughout history, had wonderful players.”And I think as a group, we love the challenge of continuing to find new ways to get better. You know, there’s so much competition in the global landscape now. I think all the advent of the franchise leagues around the world has just grown the depth of women’s cricket.”In that context, the confidence that Perry gave off when analysing how an aggressive batting unit such as Australia’s would play on a not-so-batting-friendly surface like the one in Colombo was unsurprising.”I think we have a conversation with our batting group, which we’re quite fortunate to have some depth in. So for us, and it’s something that we’ve discussed a lot over the last 12 months, is how we use that depth. It’s never going to be everyone’s day on the same day. Quite possibly it might just be one person’s day.”But I think we all go out with the same approach, and that’s to be really positive, but also really adaptable and smart to whatever the game’s presenting, whether that’s conditions or the opposition. I think there’s a blueprint there that applies to anywhere that you play, and then you’ve just got to be adaptable all day.”

Ashwin blames India’s “cinema culture” for the treatment meted out to Hardik at various grounds this season

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2024R Ashwin has come out in strong support of Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, blaming India’s “fan wars” and “cinema culture” for the vehement booing Hardik has been subjected to at various grounds this IPL season.Hardik, who took over the Mumbai captaincy from Rohit Sharma this season, was given a hostile reception by the fans in Ahmedabad last week when he faced his former team Gujarat Titans, whom he had led to successive IPL finals including the title in 2022. The booing continued when Hardik faced Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, as Mumbai began their campaign with back-to-back defeats.Answering a question from a viewer on his YouTube channel on whether Mumbai should issue a statement to diffuse the situation, Ashwin said that the onus lay with the fans, not the team, to “get our act together” and put an end to such “ugly” scenes.Related

• Hardik's wait to win over Mumbai hearts continues

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• Can slow starters Mumbai Indians kick into gear at batting paradise Wankhede?

• The People vs Hardik Pandya – why, what, and the way out

• Smith to Hardik on crowd abuse: 'Block it out, it's all irrelevant'

“People should remember which country these players represent. It’s our country, ” Ashwin said. “Fan wars should never take such an ugly route. I’ve said it many times, this is cinema culture, that happens only here.”I know there are many things like marketing, branding, and positioning. I don’t deny it, but have you seen these fights happen in any other country? Have you seen, for instance, Joe Root and Zak Crawley fans have a fight? Or Joe Root and Jos Buttler fans fight? It’s crazy. Do you see Steven Smith fans fighting with Pat Cummins fans in Australia?”Ashwin brought up examples from the past, when several Indian greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid all played under each other’s captaincies, with minimal fuss or backlash from the fans.”I don’t understand. If you don’t like a player and boo him, why should the club come out and issue a clarification? We act like this has not happened before.”Sourav Ganguly played under Sachin Tendulkar and vice versa. These two have both played under Rahul Dravid. These three have played under Anil Kumble and all of them have played under MS Dhoni. When they were under Dhoni, these players were cricket (giants). Dhoni too played under Virat Kohli.”Ashwin said he believes that all fans have a collective responsibility to “correct ourselves” before blaming others, explaining that cinema can’t be compared directly to sports.”You know what the issue is? We all happily sit inside our houses and look at the trash outside. We expect someone else to pick it up instead of doing it ourselves.”This is real-time sport. Sport has real players with real emotions, nothing is scripted. Hero and hero worshiping is great, but sport should never be compared to cinema. How we go beyond that, counter it and find balance to play cricket is what this is all about.”You are free to enjoy what you like about your favourite players or team, but not at the cost of putting another player down. This is one thing I’d love to see disappear from the face of the earth in our country.”Mumbai will play their first home game of the season against Ashwin’s Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede on Monday.

Shadab Khan, Glenn Maxwell among retentions for 2023 season

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2023The Hundred’s retention window closed on Tuesday night, following weeks of negotiations between players, agents, coaches and general managers.In the women’s competition, each team was able to retain four players from their 2022 squad, with a maximum of three ‘marquee’ players – either two overseas players and one England-contracted player, or vice versa.In the men’s competition, they could retain up to 10 players at a mutually-agreed salary band, plus their allocated England centrally-contracted player.As ESPNcricinfo revealed this week, several leading Australian women will skip the 2023 tournament, while a number of high-profile men’s players will return to the draft.The drafts for both competitions will be held on March 23, with the tournament taking place from August 1-27.In full: Women’s retentions•ECB/The Hundred

In full: Men’s retentions•ECB/The Hundred

Birmingham Phoenix

RetainedWomen: Amy Jones (£31.75k), Ellyse Perry, Issy Wong (both £25k), Emily Arlott (£15k)
Men: Chris Woakes (central contract), Liam Livingstone (£125k), Moeen Ali, Shadab Khan (both £100k), Adam Milne, Benny Howell (both £75k), Will Smeed, Kane Richardson (both £60k), Tom Helm (£50k), Chris Benjamin (£40k), Dan Mousley (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Elwiss, Kirstie Gordon, Deepti Sharma, Eve Jones, Gwen Davies, Abtaha Maqsood, Ria Fackrell, Phoebe Franklin, Sterre Kalis, Davina Perrin
Men: Jack Leach, Matthew Wade, Timm van der Gugten, Ben Dwarshuis, Brett D’Oliveira, Imran Tahir, Miles Hammond, Graeme van Buuren, Henry Brookes, Tanveer Sangha, Sol Budinger, Olly Stone, Matt Fisher, Tom AbellShadab Khan did not feature in 2022 but has been retained by Birmingham Phoenix•Getty Images

London Spirit

RetainedWomen: Heather Knight (£31.25k), Amelia Kerr (£25k), Charlie Dean (£18.75k), Dani Gibson (£15k)
Men: Mark Wood (central contract), Glenn Maxwell (£125k), Nathan Ellis (£100k), Liam Dawson, Dan Lawrence (both £75k), Zak Crawley, Jordan Thompson (both £60k), Mason Crane, Adam Rossington (both £50k), Chris Wood, Ravi Bopara (both £40k)ReleasedWomen: Chloe Brewer, Beth Mooney, Megan Schutt, Freya Davies, Sophie Luff, Jess Kerr, Amara Carr, Naomi Dattani, Grace Scrivens, Natasha Wraith, Alice Monaghan, Grace Ballinger, Nancy Harman
Men: Kieron Pollard, Josh Inglis, Eoin Morgan (retired), Daniel Bell-Drummond, Ben McDermott, Toby Roland-Jones, Brad Wheal, Jamie Smith, Blake Cullen, Riley MeredithGlenn Maxwell could replace Eoin Morgan as London Spirit captain•ECB/Getty Images

Manchester Originals

RetainedWomen: Sophie Ecclestone (£31.25k), Deandra Dottin (£25k), Emma Lamb (£18.75k), Ellie Threlkeld (£15k)
Men: Jos Buttler (central contract), Wanindu Hasaranga, Phil Salt (both £125k), Jamie Overton, Tom Hartley (both £75k), Richard Gleeson, Paul Walter (both £60k), Josh Little (£50k), Wayne Madsen, Tom Lammonby (both £40k), Mitchell Stanley (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Lizelle Lee, Kate Cross, Amy Satterthwaite, Lea Tahuhu, Cordelia Griffith, Hannah Jones, Ami Campbell, Georgie Boyce, Phoebe Graham, Laura Jackson, Grace Potts, Mahika Gaur, Erin Burns, Daisy Mullan
Men: Andre Russell, Laurie Evans, Tristan Stubbs, Matt Parkinson, Sean Abbott, Ashton Turner, Colin Ackermann, Fred Klaassen, Calvin Harrison, Daniel Worrall, Ollie RobinsonKate Cross has been released – but Originals could keep her in the draft by using their Right-To-Match card•Getty Images

Northern Superchargers

RetainedWomen: Alyssa Healy (£31.75k), Linsey Smith (£18.75k), Hollie Armitage, Bess Heath (both £15k)
Men: Ben Stokes (central contract), Adil Rashid, Harry Brook (both £125k), Adam Lyth (£75k), Adam Hose, Brydon Carse (both £60k), Matthew Potts, David Wiese (both £50k), Wayne Parnell (£40k), Callum Parkinson (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Wolvaardt, Jenny Gunn (retired), Alice Davidson-Richards, Heather Graham, Beth Langston, Katie Levick, Katherine Fraser, Liz Russell, Lucy Higham, Rachel Slater, Bethany Harmer, Gaby Lewis
Men: Dwayne Bravo, David Willey, Faf du Plessis, Wahab Riaz, Jordan Clark, John Simpson, Roelof van der Merwe, Michael Pepper, Ben Raine, Saif Zaib, Craig Miles, Luke WrightFaf du Plessis captained Superchargers in 2022 but has not been retained•ECB/Getty Images

Oval Invincibles

RetainedWomen: Marizanne Kapp (£31.25k), Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill (£25k), Tash Farrant (£18.75k)
Men: Sam Curran (central contract), Sunil Narine, Will Jacks (both £125k), Jason Roy, Tom Curran (both £100k), Sam Billings, Saqib Mahmood (both £75k), Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson (both £50k), Danny Briggs (£40k), Nathan Sowter (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Dane van Niekerk, Shabnim Ismail, Mady Villiers, Suzie Bates, Aylish Cranstone, Dani Gregory, Grace Gibbs, Kira Chathli, Emily Windsor, Eva Gray, Sophia Smale, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Kirstie White, Emma Jones
Men: Pat Brown, Rilee Rossouw, Reece Topley, Hilton Cartwright, Mohammad Hasnain, Matt Milnes, Jack Leaning, Jack Haynes, Rory Burns, Carlos Brathwaite, Peter HatzoglouMarizanne Kapp will stay at The Oval•ECB/Getty Images

Southern Brave

RetainedWomen: Smriti Mandhana (£31.75k), Lauren Bell (£18.75k), Maia Bouchier, Freya Kemp (both £15k)
Men: Jofra Archer (central contract), James Vince, Chris Jordan (both £100k), Tymal Mills (£75k), Rehan Ahmed, Craig Overton (both £60k), Finn Allen, George Garton (both £50k), James Fuller, Alex Davies (both £40k), Joe Weatherley (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Danni Wyatt, Sophia Dunkey, Anya Shrubsole, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tahlia McGrath, Molly Strano, Carla Rudd, Georgia Adams, Tara Norris, Jo Gardner, Paige Scholfield, Ella McCaughan
Men: Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Paul Stirling, Jake Lintott, Tim David, Ross Whiteley, Dan Moriarty, Michael Hogan, Beuran Hendricks, Sonny BakerWhich England opener will Brave RTM at the draft?•ICC/Getty Images

Trent Rockets

RetainedWomen: Nat Sciver-Brunt (£31.75k), Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Alana King (both £25k), Bryony Smith (£18.75k)
Men: Joe Root (central contract), Rashid Khan (£125k), Dawid Malan, Alex Hales (both £100k), Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood (both £75k), Colin Munro, Sam Cook (both £60k), Daniel Sams, Samit Patel (both £50k), Matt Carter (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Kim Garth, Mignon du Preez, Sarah Glenn, Elyse Villani, Kathryn Bryce, Abbey Freeborn, Marie Kelly, Sophie Munro, Alexa Stonehouse, Georgia Davis, Ella Claridge, Emma Marlow, Meg Lanning
Men: Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ian Cockbain, Marchant de Lange, Steven Mullaney, Luke Fletcher, Tom Moores, Ben MikeTom Kohler-Cadmore will be available at the draft•ILT20

Welsh Fire

RetainedWomen: Tammy Beaumont, Hayley Matthews (both £25k), Annabel Sutherland (£18.75k)
Men: Jonny Bairstow (central contract), Joe Clarke (£100k), Ollie Pope (£75k), David Payne (£60k), Jake Ball (£50k), George Scrimshaw (£30k)ReleasedWomen: Rachael Haynes, Fran Wilson, Katie George, Nicla Carey, Alex Hartley, Claire Nicholas, Fi Morris, Georgia Hennessy, Alex Griffiths, Sarah Bryce, Hannah Baker, Lauren Filer, Nicole Harvey, Maddy Green
Men: Tom Banton, Adam Zampa, Ben Duckett, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Sam Hain, Leus du Plooy, Noor Ahmad, Ryan Higgins, Matt Critchley, Jacob Bethell, Josh Cobb, Naseem Shah, Ish SodhiWelsh Fire have retained Tammy Beaumont•ECB/Getty Images

Spinner looking for “as many games as possible” having not played home Test since 2019

Alan Gardner31-Jul-2021Jack Leach has spoken of his frustrations at being left out of the Test side against New Zealand earlier in the summer, as well as a bit-part role in the England set-up that has only seem him play five home Tests since his debut during the winter of 2017-18.England were beaten 1-0 by New Zealand – their first Test series defeat at home since 2014 – after relying on a four-seamer attack supported by Joe Root’s part-time offspin. With England’s main seam-bowling allrounder options, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, either injured or not considered for selection after returning from the IPL, the question of how to balance the side at Lord’s and Edgbaston meant Leach sitting out on both occasions.Having been England’s most-successful bowler over the winter, taking 28 wickets at 31.14 in Sri Lanka and India, he returned to the sidelines back in home conditions. Leach also missed out on selection last summer, with Dom Bess preferred in the spinner’s role, and it is now almost two years since his last Test appearance in England, during the 2019 Ashes.England’s stated aim under Chris Silverwood, who took over at head coach in 2019, has been to play more of their home cricket on true surfaces, in order to improve performances overseas. But Leach has had little opportunity to practice the holding role that would then enable a more attacking brief later in the game.”I think I said to Spoons it was frustrating, because I want to be playing as many games as possible at that level,” Leach said. “I guess the thing I’ve struggled with over the past couple of years has been that momentum of playing games, and feeling like you’re learning from those experiences. You can do as much as you want in the nets, but you want to put that into a game situation. There are things you don’t get in the nets that you only get in games.”That was the frustrating thing. I understood it from a team point of view, in terms of the balance of the team. If it had been three seamers and a spinner, that would have been the first time I’d have played in that balance of team. Even at Somerset we’re playing with four seamers, and even a batter who bowls seam, Tom Abell, or Tom Lammonby, who bowls left-arm seam. My experience hasn’t been in that balance of team, so having not done that before, it would have been a huge challenge which I’d have loved to do, but I understand why they want four seamers, especially in England.Related

• Ollie Pope puts quad injury down to relentless Vitality Blast schedule

• Selection questions for India: Who should play if Rahane is unfit? Does Siraj get in?

• Leach calls for better pitches … back home in England

• Leach returns from India full of confidence in bowling and health

• Leach turns screw on Surrey as Somerset confirm progress

“From the point of view of just playing games, I was frustrated not to play, and they were wickets I felt I could have had a positive impact on the game.”Although Leach conceded that he was unlikely to see surfaces as helpful as those encountered in Galle, Chennai and Ahmedabad, he said he enjoyed bowling in England and that pitches “generally are quite dry actually”, thanks to improved drainage. With five Tests scheduled against India in August and September, he stands a good chance of a return in the coming weeks – albeit Stokes’ withdrawal from the series will further complicate selection.But with the height of the summer now dominated by white-ball cricket – there were just two rounds of the Championship scheduled between June 6 and August 30 – he conceded it had been hard to get himself into rhythm ahead of the first Test, starting next week at Trent Bridge.”That has been the hardest challenge for me mentally: feeling like I’m getting enough overs in games. I think even in the first block of Championship games in April/May, I was playing on some quite seam friendly wickets so actually the amount of overs I bowled, even though I was playing, was not that many. And I had to do some isolation which meant I missed a Championship game and the day after I was playing at Surrey.”Mentally it has been a bit hard trying to work out where I get enough game overs and get that confidence. It was nice to play at The Oval against Surrey and take some wickets. That gave me some confidence and finish off this white-ball period then we are into the Test matches. I feel good [but] it is always that challenge to get enough game time as you go along.”Leach was overlooked earlier in the summer•PA Images via Getty Images

Of Stokes’ decision to take time away from the game, Leach said: “All the lads are behind Ben and supporting him where we can. He has shown courage and bravery to prioritise his mental health. He is a focal part of our team and we will miss him.”His priority is to take some time out from the game to get better. We can’t wait to welcome him back in the near future and winning games of cricket for England.”Leach has not played a Test this summer, but he did make his T20 debut, a day after turning 30, taking 5 for 60 across two Blast outings for Somerset. Having been on the end of a brazen Rishabh Pant assault in the first Chennai Test back in February – he conceded 71 off just seven overs before coming back to finish with 2 for 105 in India’s first innings – he said that greater involvement in white-ball cricket was more than just a way of passing time.”It’s kind of a game I didn’t have much connection with really, in terms of not being involved at all in previous years, and something I wasn’t sure I was capable of doing, and I was intrigued to see whether what I do in the longer format could work. So, yeah, it was nice to play and win both games, and I took a few wickets, which was good.”The nice thing was I was coming in on wickets they thought might spin, so I haven’t had to experience the flat ones yet in T20 cricket. But, yeah, it’s given me confidence that I can play that format. And also I probably feel like I’ve got nothing to lose in that format, and it’s picking up skills and reading batters when they come after you, and using that to help you even in the Test match game.”In that first game in India when Pant was coming after me, I experienced that and felt like if I’d played more one-day cricket, I might have a little bit more nous in those situations. I’ve had a focus this summer on being around those white-ball teams, and at least practising white ball in the nets and experiencing batters coming after me. Gaining a few more skills that way. I think it can help me in all formats.”

His vehicle hit and killed a 64-year-old cyclist on Sunday

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jul-2020Sri Lanka cricketer Kusal Mendis has been arrested after the vehicle he was driving hit and killed a 64-year-old cyclist at around 5am on Sunday.The police media unit confirmed the accident had occurred in Panadura, just south of Colombo, and that the victim had been a local resident who sustained serious injuries and died as he was being admitted to hospital. Mendis will appear before the Panadura magistrate – likely in the next 48 hours – while police conduct an investigation.The initial police statement made no mention of whether either Mendis or the victim were under the influence of alcohol.As Sri Lanka’s lockdowns and curfew have now ceased, Mendis was allowed to be on the road at the time. He had been part of Sri Lanka’s residential training camp at Pallekele, which ended on Wednesday.

West Indies on the back foot for a rare moment this series

The Report by Valkerie Baynes11-Feb-2019
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIf spectators at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium thought they could hear the refrain, “if only” emanating from England’s dressing-room, they may not have been mistaken.If only this match was not a dead rubber, a commanding day with the bat might count for much more than the tourists’ pride. If only Joe Root’s century had come in Barbados or Antigua, West Indies might not hold an unassailable 2-0 series lead. If only Joe Denly had converted his maiden half-century into a ton, he might have gone a long way towards locking down an Ashes berth after playing just two Tests.But, with England holding a 448-run lead to put themselves on track for a consolation win and with Root playing himself into form in his final innings of an otherwise lean series, incremental gains were the order of the third day in St Lucia.Root found his touch to reach 111 not out after his scores of 4 and 22 in Barbados (which saw his average drop below 50 for the first time since 2014) were followed by knocks of 7, 7, and 15. He gritted his teeth through a difficult period against the new ball late the day and was richly rewarded, closing his eyes and punching the air after he brought up his 16th Test hundred with a four thumped down the ground off Alzarri Joseph.He put on a century stand with Jos Buttler, who scored back-to-back fifties for the match, racking up a second-innings 56 off 115 balls before he was bowled by a pearler from Kemar Roach that went straight through the batsman, who couldn’t help but offer a look of admiration.Denly, playing just his fourth Test innings, capitalised after being dropped by Shimron Hetmyer at third slip off the bowling of a livid Shannon Gabriel when he was on 12 to deliver an otherwise composed 69 – until his dismissal midway through the second session.Had Denly managed a ton in England’s penultimate Test before hosting Australia from August 1, he would have well and truly staked his claim for an Ashes berth. But his dismissal, caught behind off a bottom edge by Shane Dowrich while attempting to cut was welcome reward for a hard-working Gabriel and left England’s summer selections as uncertain as ever ahead of the remaining one-off, four-day match against Ireland in July with four months worth of County Championship matches between now and then.That said, Denly looked fluent in his more familiar position at No.3, having opened on debut in Antigua in place of Keaton Jennings, who failed to make the most of his recall in this Test.Having resumed after lunch on 45, Denly brought up his 50 with a four, the 11th of his innings, before he was out three balls later.Joseph snared the wicket of under-pressure Jennings with a ball that was missing everything before it jagged the thigh pad and curled behind the batsman onto leg stump. Jennings grinned ruefully after the freak end to his innings. With scores of 17, 14, 8 and 23 in this series, having been dropped in favour of Denly for the second Test, he perhaps realised that his time as an England Test batsman could be over.West Indies played out their own “if only” dialogue after a bright start when Keemo Paul had Rory Burns (10) out to a regulation catch at square leg by Joseph on the first ball of the day to put England at 19 for 1.If only Paul had not suffered a quadriceps injury chasing a Denly cover drive that had him prostrate on the grass just outside the boundary rope in agony, they would not have had to toil with a handy bowler down.Paul – who had come into the side to replace suspended captain Jason Holder and claimed two wickets in England’s first innings, including that of Jennings with his first ball of the match – ended up having to be stretchered away and taken to hospital for scans.For the rest of the day he remained off the field, where West Indies were already missing Darren Bravo, also sent for scans, on a finger he injured earlier in the match.Despite appearing to be in some discomfort with a hamstring problem in the morning session, Gabriel soldiered on to resume his verbal battle with Ben Stokes, who came to the crease late in the day and seemed to enjoy picking up the banter which started in the second Test.Stokes shared an unbroken 71-run partnership with Root to be 29 not out at stumps.

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.

ESPNcricinfo looks at all the talking points about scheduling, non-availability of players, and more which are yet to be addressed with less than two weeks to go for the domestic season

Shashank Kishore10-Aug-2016The announcement of BCCI’s upcoming season, which includes a record 13 home Tests, with much fanfare in June exuded a sense of optimism in their planning. That the Duleep Trophy, shelved in 2015-16 owing to a busy international calendar, was set to be reintroduced in a new avatar in the pink-ball format, spelt out their intention to adapt to the winds of change. The idea of playing the Ranji Trophy at neutral venues to prevent home teams from tampering with pitches to suit their strengths was seen as a move to negate the unfair advantage.Three months on, the BCCI is yet to make any headway into the domestic schedule. While they have cited the ongoing legal battles with the Lodha Committee for the delay in announcement of the fixtures, it can’t be used as an excuse to draw public sympathy. ESPNcricinfo looks at all the talking points yet to be addressed with less than two weeks to go for the domestic season.Unavailability of top players for Duleep TrophyA majority of the 17-man Test squad in the West Indies is likely to be joined by MS Dhoni, the limited-overs captain, and a few others for the two T20Is against West Indies in Florida on August 27 and 28. The next rung of players, many of whom were a part of the national side for the limited-overs series in Zimbabwe in June, will be in Australia with the India A squad for the quadrangular one-day series followed by two four-day matches. That leaves the selectors with a very limited pool to choose from, which means the tournament, originally billed as the curtain raiser for India’s upcoming Test season, will lose its significance even before a ball has been bowled.Duleep Trophy formatThere is no clarity on whether it will be a three or four-team affair. Originally scheduled to involve four sides, the BCCI may have no option but to whittle it down to three teams because of non-availability of big names and the A tour of Australia. There is also confusion over allotment of venues for the tournament. Scheduled to be played across three venues, the BCCI has reportedly zeroed in on Greater Noida, although an official or final decision is yet to be made.Duleep Trophy with pink ball or red ball?During the BCCI’s inaugural conclave, which involved all its stakeholders in June, president Anurag Thakur stated emphatically that the feedback from top players would be considered before continuing their pink-ball trial. With the top players set to miss the tournament, there is now a question mark over that experiment. Furthermore, India won’t be hosting a day-night Test against New Zealand as things stand, with the board announcing all games to be played during the series starting at 9.30am. The board is said to have received mixed responses from players who featured in the league final conducted by the Cricket Association of Bengal.Ranji Trophy scheduleThe proposal of the cricket committee to play all Ranji Trophy matches at neutral venues have been ratified, but everything else surrounding the competition has been left hanging. The schedule, normally announced in June-July, is yet to be unveiled. There is also confusion over how the tournament will be played out.A hectic T20 schedule from January culminating with the World T20 at home in April forced the board to schedule the limited-overs tournaments – the Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-overs) and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) immediately after the group stages of the Ranji Trophy in 2015-16. It remains to be seen if the BCCI will adopt the conventional method of playing the first-class tournament followed by the limited-overs matches this season, given the Indian team is expected to play just a handful of T20s at home.New teamsThe Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh, which was an Associate member of the BCCI, was given Full Member status after a Special General Meeting in February this year, paving the way for their Ranji Trophy debut in the 2016-17 season. As things stand, they are slated for an entry into Group C, which will consist of 10 teams. What of Bihar, which has received full membership following a directive from the Supreme Court? While the Bihar Cricket Association is eligible to vote in the board elections and also feature in the domestic tournament, clarity from the BCCI on the matter is still awaited.