ICRICKETBUZZ » Cricket News

Sudhir Naik appointed as chairman of selectors of senior Mumbai team

Chaitanya — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:57:58 +0000

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) appointed former India opener and state captain Sudhir Naik as the chairman of the selection panel after national chief selector Sandeep Patil had resigned from the post in April.

Sudhir Naik, was named the chief selector for the senior and U-25 teams with Karsan Ghavri, Deepak Jadhav and Raju Sutar as his colleagues on the panel, according to a statement issued by MCA. He is also the curator of the Wankhede Stadium.

Sulakshan Kulkarni, who coached the Mumbai senior team to victory in the last Ranji season, has been retained as the coach till March 31, 2014. Vinayak Samant will coach the under-25 side till March 31, 2014, replacing 70-year old Vilas Godbole who guided the Under-25 team to three titles in four years.

Chandrakant Pandit was named as the chief selector for the under-19 team, while Ravi Thakar was named as the under-16 team’s chief selector. For the under-14 category, Ramesh Vajge was appointed as the chief selector.

Vrunda Bhagat and Arti Vaidya were appointed as the chief selectors for the women’s senior team and under-19 team, respectively.

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Harbhajan Singh rescued by Indian Air Force

Chaitanya — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:47:40 +0000

India cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who was stranded in Joshimath due to incessant rains while on a pilgrimage, was on Wednesday rescued and taken to safety by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

A relieved Harbhajan wrote on his twitter page: ”Rescued by 205 army aviation squadron based at mamoon pathankot.Thank u.Sweet memories with the air crew.God bless”.

Flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides have claimed over a hundred lives in Uttarakhand and left thousands of pilgrims stranded.

The off-spinner took shelter at the ITBP camp at Joshimath since the last four days after he too could not reach Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara due to bad weather.

The off-spinner yesterday accompanied Indo-Tibetan Border Police officials to the forces` barracks and campuses where stranded pilgrims are being provided food and medicines.

Harbhajan took the role of a counsellor alongside ITBP personnel as he met a number of pilgrims hit by incessant rains and floods.

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Bangladesh stands to lose their ICC membership

Chaitanya — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:58:47 +0000

The president of Bangladesh Cricket Board Nazmul Hassan Papon has warned Bangladesh cricket team could lose their ICC membership if they don’t hold a board election in the line with ICC guidelines.

Earlier this year Bangladesh High Court challenged the legality of the newly amended of Bangladesh Cricket Board constitution and that has held up the election which is supposed to take place within 90 days of tad-hoc committee taking over the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

According to reports, the ICC has established guidelines for cricket boards to minimize government interference and ensured that chairpersons are elected, not selected. Accordingly, the March 1, 2012, the directors of BCB amended constitution of the board, but had to wait for the approval of the Sports Council, the sport’s governing body in Bangladesh. Due to the delay in the approval, the BCB had to be executed by an ad-hoc since late November after the reign of the elected body expired.

Nazmul Hassan Papon said, “We had to change the constitution to follow the ICC guidelines so that’s how the 2012 draft came about. If we don’t do the election according to the ICC’s guideline and the court declares the 2008 constitution valid, Bangladesh will stand to lose their ICC membership. We need a constitution to make election, and I have two at the moment. The one from 2008 and the other done in 2012. The latter constitution was have sent to BCB ad-hoc committee by the National Sports Council(NSC). But since this 2012 draft is in the court, election is being delayed”.

Nazmul Hassan remembered that the changes asked to be made by the ICC have to be taken into account, Though president of ICC Alan Isaac said in the last year November that major change, that of reducing government interference, is still under reviewed.

“In last ICC board meeting, we were being told that every board has to bring about certain changes of their constitution. But unless the High Court decides on board’s constitution, we don’t have much to do. We are finding legal opinion because the ICC has set a timeline and restrictions. We will have to do something within these limitations”.

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England won by 7 wickets against SA and entered into final

Chaitanya — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:37:40 +0000

England won by 7 wickets (with 75 balls remaining) against South Africa. They managed to overcome D/L, West Indies and the rain during their encounter against West Indies. In this match, they have been completely overpowered by England.

They were never going to put pressure on England after being bowled out for 175. Cook and Bell departed cheaply but a 105 run stand between Root and Trott killed the contest. Trott went past his 22nd ODI fifty to help England thump South Africa by seven wickets.

Click for England vs South Afica Highlights

Ab De Villiers is no longer an innocent child, he is captain of a South Africa one-day side which throughout his lifetime has repeatedly flattered to deceive in ICC tournaments. So it proved once more. England rampaged through the top order as eight wickets fell for 80. It was a muggy morning at Kennington Oval, England won a favourable toss, and for once the white Kookaburra swung, but South Africa contributed immensely to their downfall.

David Miller and Rory Kleinveldt did at least regain a measure of respectability. A record ninth-wicket partnership for South Africa of 95 in 16 overs took them to 175. But all that did was provide Jonathan Trott with a prolonged opportunity to bat much as he wished, seemingly oblivious to the pressure of a Champions Trophy semi-final. He finished with a spritely 82 not out from 84 balls, a seven-wicket win done and dusted with more than 12 overs to spare.

Trott’s rate of progress is constantly pored over, his displays routinely regaled by some, condemned by others. As England lost their openers, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell, with 41 on the board, and de Villiers shuffled his bowlers impatiently, looking for a magic trick, no England supporter was carping. They yearned for his stability.

Let me watch in peace, they urged him, build your bubble, do it your way. South Africa wanted his wicket more than any other, but Trott and Root, one imperturbable, the other full of vim, confirmed England’s place in the final with a stand of 105 in 20 overs. Root left cursing himself, bowled behind his legs by JP Duminy for 48, but Trott remained productive to the end, completing his ritual post-match scratching of his guard even as Eoin Morgan tried to offer his congratulations.

The match was essentially settled by the 23rd over. South Africa batted skittishly, as if 300-plus and the sooner the better, was essential. Critically, they lost their most influential batsman, Hashim Amla for a single and the reverberations of that were felt deep into the order.

England’s mood was set by the connoisseur of swing bowling, James Anderson, whose opening spell of 2 for 11 was extended to seven overs as his captain, Cook, sought to break South Africa early while the conventional swing persisted.

Wickets in the first two overs of South Africa’s innings got England moving. Anderson can cut a serious, brooding figure, but the closeness of the morning left him full of smiles before the start. He removed Colin Ingram for nought with his fifth ball, outswinger followed by inswinger and an lbw verdict

Steven Finn has been stalking around the Champions Trophy, none too happy about his omission from the side, but Tim Bresnan’s absence, to be with his wife Hannah with their baby imminent, gave him his first appearance of the tournament. Cook gave him the new ball and challenged him to channel that anger and his fourth delivery brought England the prize wicket of Amla as he failed to withdraw from an outswinger, the first of six catches behind the stumps for Jos Buttler.

Even in the early overs, England were planning for the possibility of reverse swing on a dry square later in the day. Stuart Broad began to bowl cross seam, to encourage wear on the ball, as early as the 10th over – and it brought him a wicket, too, as de Villiers was out without scoring, lashing at a wide one and caught at the wicket off an under-edge.

Peterson’s appearance at No. 3 encapsulated South Africa’s confusion. He was a pinch hitter in inappropriate conditions. If his left-handedness was perceived as an advantage, Anderson revels against left-handers when the ball is swinging. It was an unconvincing ploy. He acquitted himself better than most, taking three boundaries off a wayward over from Finn before Anderson had him lbw.

But this was not just a story about quick bowling. South Africa were so destabilised that a few overs of routine, if intelligently-delivered, offspin by James Tredwell caused further havoc. Tredwell, who was substituting for Graeme Swann, had 3 for 19 in his seven overs as well as causing the downfall, run out, of Ryan McLaren.

No batsman summed up South Africa’s failures more than Duminy. He was all at sea during his 11-ball stay. He survived a first-ball nought when he reviewed an lbw decision for Broad and was reprieved as replays showed the ball had pitched outside leg stump. He then should have fallen lbw third ball but Tredwell, with everything in his favour as Duminy was beaten on the back foot, politely refused a review as if offered a second piece of lemon drizzle cake. Duminy soon chopped on against Tredwell in any case.

Tredwell’s success did not end there. Faf du Plessis, who had been as secure as anyone, fell for 26 when he flashed at a quicker, flatter ball and was caught at the wicket.

The wicket, though, that brought hearty applause from Swann in the England dressing room will not appear against his name. It was the run out of McLaren who was so unhinged by flight and turn that he ran several paces down the pitch. Trott, who caught the ball at first slip, had the presence of mind to throw down the stumps to effect the run out.

At 80 for 8, South Africa’s one consolation was that they batted deep. They at least avoided the lowest one-day score ever made at The Oval batting first, New Zealand’s 158 against West Indies in 1975.

They immediately took the batting Powerplay, which Miller greeted by smashing Finn over long-on for six. Miller unveiled his T20 one-legged slash over point, Broad disappearing for six more, and Kleinveldt slugged away when Cook finally felt obliged in the 30th over to introduce his weaker bowlers in tandem.

Broad finally ended the recovery with successive short balls to dismiss Kleinveldt and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, first ball. All that remained for England was a regulation dose of Trott, the finest suppressor of panic disorder on the market.

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Hashim Amla nominated for four Cricket South Africa awards

Chaitanya — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:56:53 +0000

South Africa batsman Hashim Amla has been nominated in four categories of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) professional awards, including the prestigious Cricketer of the Year, to be announced here on July 3.

Hashim Amla has also been nominated for the Test Cricketer of the Year award, the One-Day International (ODI) Cricketer of the Year and the `KFC So Good` award which is for a single outstanding achievement.

The other nominees for the Cricketer of the Year award are ODI skipper AB de Villiers, batsman Faf du Plessis and pacers Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn.

The awards cover the period from May 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013.

Hashim Amla has scored 1,321 runs in Tests in the period under review at an average of 82.56, with five centuries and four fifties. He also made 552 runs in ODIs at an average of 61.33. Amla`s feats included the South African Test record score of 311 not out against England at The Oval last year. The memorable innings earned him nomination for the `KFC So Good` award.

AB de Villiers was outstanding in both Tests and ODIs, while Faf du Plessis made a sensational entry into Test cricket with an splendid debut century which saved the second Test against Australia in Adelaide, paving the way for series win in Perth.

Steyn and Philander have spearheaded South Africa`s fast bowling attack during this period. Steyn took 60 Test wickets at an average of 20.26 while Philander claimed 38 wickets at 21.13. Steyn`s devastating spell of six for eight against Pakistan in Johannesburg and Philander`s five for seven against New Zealand in Cape Town were nominated for the KFC So Good award.

The CSA Acting CEO Naasei Appiahsaid: ”This has been the most successful year in the history of South African Test match cricket. The Proteas Test squad has become synonymous with sustained excellence and there have also been inspiring performances from many individual players, not to mention the leadership provided by our captain, Graeme Smith”.

Colin Bryden, convener of the judging panel, commented: “It was an outstanding year for South African cricket and there were many excellent individual performances, particularly in Test matches. There were also some impressive performances in franchise cricket.”

The other members of the judging panel include broadcaster Aslam Khota, batting legend Graeme Pollock and recently retired fast bowler Victor Mpitsang.

Cricket fans will also have voting powers for two of the Awards on the evening ? the Fans Cricketer of the season and the Delivery of the season.

List of nominees:
South African Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn.

Test Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn.

One-Day International Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Ryan McLaren.

Twenty20 International Cricketer of the Year: Henry Davids, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn.

KFC So Good Award: Hashim Amla, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn.

Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Dan? van Niekerk.

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MV Sridhar appointed Indian cricket team manager for WI tour

Chaitanya — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:25:02 +0000

MV Sridhar was appointed manager of the Indian cricket team for the tri-series in the West Indies starting June 28. A former Andhra cricketer, Sridhar is presently the secretary of the Hyderabad Cricket Association.

BCCI had earlier announced the same 15-member squad, currently playing in the Champions Trophy, for the tri-series involving the hosts and Sri Lanka besides India.

While Arindam Ganguly will be the manager of the under-19 team that will be participating in a tri-series in Australia from later this month, BCCI said in a release.

Support staff of the Indian team: Duncan Fletcher (Coach), Joseph Dawes (Bowling Coach), Trevor Penney (Fielding Coach), Nitin Patel (Physiotherapist), R Srinivasan (Trainer), Amit Shah (Yoga and Massage Therapist), CKM Dhananjai (Video Analyst), Ramesh Mane (Masseur), M A Satheesh (Logistics Manager), R N Baba (Media Manager).

Support staff of the under-19 team: Bharat Arun (Coach), Anand Date (Fitness Trainer), Sreeniwas Rao (Physiotherapist), Ashutosh Dandige (Video Analyst).

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Jharkhand DGP: MS Dhoni`s security is foolproof

Chaitanya — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:25:31 +0000

Jharkhand Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar said on Tuesday: There would not be any compromise on the security aspect of Team India Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“Dhoni’s security is foolproof,” Kumar said, denying reports that the cricketer’s security has been reduced following a review by a security committee.

The DGP added: ”I tell you, there won`t be any compromise on his security”.

A newspaper on Tuesday published that Dhoni`s security cover has been reduced from Z to Y category. A few years ago, Dhoni’s security was tightened after his family received extortion threat through a letter. Later, the accused was arrested.

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Harbhajan Singh turns counsellor for stranded pilgrims, tourists

Chaitanya — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:12:19 +0000

Indian Cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who has been stranded in Joshimath, on Tuesday took the role of a counsellor alongside ITBP personnel as he met a number of pilgrims hit by incessant rains and floods.

The cricketer is staying at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp at Joshimath since the last three days after he too could not reach Hemkund Sahib gurudwara due to inclement weather.

Harbhajan Singh on Tuesday accompanied ITBP officials to the forces` barracks and campuses where stranded pilgrims are being provided food and medicines and talked to them.

A senior ITBP official said: ”He counselled them (pilgrims and tourists) that all would be well soon and that force personnel and others are trying to bring as much succour as they can. He gave them food and water and spent with them”.

The ITBP has deployed close to 600 personnel for relief and rescue operations in the state and has opened up its office and residential buildings for the people to stay.

The official said, ”Our jawans have even emptied their barracks to accommodate the people who are stuck. Every effort is being made to provide food, water and medicines through two private choppers that have been pressed in by the force”.

The force has spread its men to rain-hit areas in Kedarnath, Gaurikund, Govindghat, Pandukeswar, Karnaprayag, Badrinath and Uttarkashi.

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India consolidate top position in ICC ODI Rankings Table

Chaitanya — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:33:24 +0000

India have strengthened their number one position on the ICC ODI Rankings Table as they have added two more rating points to their kitty with an unbeaten run in the group stage of the Champions Trophy.

India had entered the tournament on 119 ratings points and have moved to 121, thanks to victories over South Africa, West Indies and Pakistan.

ICC ODI Rankings Table

Team	Matches	Points	Rating
India	41	4968	121
England	39	4416	113
Australia	39	4406	113
South Africa	30	3373	112
Sri Lanka	44	4811	109
Pakistan	41	4173	102
New Zealand	31	2738	88
West Indies	36	3161	88
Bangladesh	26	1950	75
Zimbabwe	20	1094	55
Ireland	8	312	39
Netherlands	5	69	14
Kenya	4	45	11

England are now ranked second after moving up two places from fourth, thereby pushing Australia to third position.

Second-ranked England and third-placed Australia are level on 113 ratings points, but Alastair Cook’s side is ranked above Michael Clarke’s team by a fraction of a point.

South Africa has dropped a place to fourth with a loss of one ratings points to 112 following the completion of the group stage. Sri Lanka at fifth and Pakistan at sixth have retained their pre-tournament positions.

Meanwhile, among the players, in form Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja has entered the top-5 as he gained three places to be at number four in the ODI bowlers` list.

His Spin colleague R Ashwin though dropped a place to 15th. Jadeja has moved up a place to fourth in the all- rounders` list.

The highest run-getter of the tournament until the end of the group stage, Shikhar Dhawan, has re-entered the batting rankings in 50th place. Dhawan has scored 264 runs so far in the tournament, with two back-to-back hundreds.

The batting table is still topped by South Africa captain AB de Villiers, with teammate Hashim Amla in second place and India`s Virat Kohli in third place and followed by his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Suresh Raina has gained a place to be 14th while out of favour Gautam Gambhir dropped three places to 19th.

Others moving in the right direction are Lasith Malinga in 11th (up by one), Kyle Mills in 12th (up by four), Kemar Roach in 18th (up by two), Rangana Herath in 24th (up by six), Shane Watson in 29th (up by two), Stuart Broad in 32nd (up by one), Ryan McLaren in 34th (up by 13) and Nathan McCullum in 38th (up by seven).

The highest wicket-taker of the tournament in the group stage with 11 wickets, New Zealand`s Mitchell McClenaghan has jumped 15 places to 41st.

Meanwhile, England captain Alastair Cook has moved up two places to eighth in the latest Rankings for ODI batsmen.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has jumped seven places to return to the top 10 and is now at 10th after scoring 173 runs from three matches.

Also moving in the right direction inside the top 20 are George Bailey in 17th (up by six) and Ian Bell in 18th (up by three).

Outside the top 20, the batsmen moving up are Kane Williamson in 21st (up by nine), Mahela Jayawardene in 24th (up by three), Chris Gayle in 34th (up by two), Joe Root in 35th (up by seven), Nasir Jamshaid in 38th (up by eight), Faf du Plessis in 43rd (up by seven) and Rohit Sharma in 47th (up by 11).

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South Africa vs England Champions Trophy First Semi-Final Preview 19 June 2013

Chaitanya — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:58:13 +0000

South Africa vs England Champions Trophy First Semi-Final Preview 19 June 2013

ICC Champions trophy 2013: England take on South Africa in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy in London on Wednesday, 19 June 2013.

While South Africa would be desperate to perform well and shed their “chokers” tag; England, on the other hand, will be looking for some winning momentum before the Ashes. Expect a mouth-watering clash as both teams will fight for glory and a golden chance of getting close to the coveted trophy in the final ICC Champions Trophy tournament.

England Tournament so far:

England Won against Australia by 48 runs, Lost to Sri Lanka by 7 wickets, Won against New Zealand by 10 runs.

Team description:

A strong and confident batting unit coupled with an unpredictable but talented bowling attack, England start as one of the favourites to win the cup.

The English batting has been in form all throughout the tournament with noteworthy performances from the top order batsmen. Skipper Alastair Cook has been wonderful in all three matches and along with Ian Bell, has given England good starts.

In the previous match against New Zealand, his brilliant knock of 64 runs which helped England reach a respectable total also won him the Man of the match award. Number three batsman Jonathon Trott has supported the openers well and Eoin Morgan, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Ravi Bopara have given the required stability to the middle order. When required, their bowlers are also known to to hit a few lusty blows and boost the score. Overall, England’s batting is their strength and they will be keen on exploiting it further to their advantage.

The English bowling attack has mostly been unpredictable, falling short on many occasions. In their first match against Australia, they gave a fairly decent performance, restricting the Aussies to 221/9 but then were not able to defend a total of 293 runs against Sri Lanka and managed to take only three Lankan wickets. Even in the last rain-affected match against New Zealand, they won narrowly by only 10 runs as they were unable to stop the run-flow in the middle overs.

Only James Anderson seems his usual self, maintaining his form of previous season and attacking the batsmen well. Sadly, his partners Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad have been pretty expensive and LOOKED lacklustre. Graeme Swann has only played one match so far and done nothing exceptional to write home about. Surprisingly, Ravi Bopara has been very good and contributed effectively with both bat and ball.

With a fantastic and in-form batting line-up, England just needs to concentrate on bowling a disciplined line and length. If they are able to do that and put up a solid team effort, South Africa will indeed find it very difficult to counter-attack.

Players to watch out for: Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, James Anderson.

Squad: Alastair Cook (c), Ian Bell, Jonathon Trott, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler (wk), Tim Bresnan/James Tredwell, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson

South Africa Tournament so far:

South Africa Lost to India by 26 runs, Won against Pakistan by 67 runs, Tied with West Indies (D/L method).

Team description:

South Africa have finally made it to the semi-finals but not so confidently. They will have to thank the Duckworth Lewis (D/L) method for ending their match against West Indies as a tie and giving them an opportunity to progress forward. But mostly, throughout the tournament, they have been very mediocre and inconsistent and have a lot of work ahead if they want to reach anywhere close to the final title.

On paper, South Africa boast of a power-packed batting line-up which in reality has failed to live up to the expectations. Openers Colin Ingram and Hashim Amla have looked good in one match each but have been unable to click as a unit.

The remaining batsmen have struggled to convert good starts into decent scores. One expects huge scores from the likes of David Miller, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy and the Proteas will be hoping that these big guns fire against the formidable English bowling attack.

Spearheaded by the best pace bowler in the world, the South African bowling attack is an intimidating one. The return of Dale Steyn has given them something to cheer about after the unprecedented return of Morne Morkel due to an injury and Steyn has not let them down. He bowled fairly well in the match against West Indies and also took two crucial wickets in that game.

Although Steyn bowled only 6 overs in the last match and his fitness is being monitored carefully, captain AB de Villiers has clearly stated that there is a “good chance” Steyn will be in the playing XI for the semi-final. Morkel’s replacement in form of new-comer Chris Morris has been encouraging with the youngster giving off a good impression. Ryan McLaren has been in a surprisingly good touch and also wielded the bat just as effectively.

The Protean fielding has been remarkable as usual and they would look to derive inspiration from it and try to curtail the run-flow from England.

Players to watch out for: Dale Steyn, Ryan McLaren, AB de Villiers

Squad: Colin Ingram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers (c, wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Robin Peterson, Chris Morris, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Dale Steyn.

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West Indies Triangular Series 2013 | Celkon Mobile Cup 2013

Cricket Highlights, Cricket Photos, Cricket News — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:19:51 +0000

West Indies Triangular Series 2013 | Celkon Mobile Cup 2013

West Indies Triangular Series 2013 is a One Day International cricket tournament held in West Indies that will be played between India, Sri Lanka and West Indies in the months of June and July 2013.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has announced Hyderabad based Celkon Mobiles as the Title Sponsor of the Tri Nation Series. The series will be known as the Celkon Mobile Cup and will be played in Jamaica and Trinidad from June 28 to July 11, 2013. The first round of group fixtures will be held at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica with the second round and the final held at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

Celkon Mobiles, one of leading manufacturing companies in India, is a pioneer in mobile phone solutions and wireless technologies in the Country. Celkon caters to the increasing smart needs of mobile users across the world.

Check here for Schedule: Celkon Mobile Cup 2013 Fixtures

Commenting on the occasion, Y Guru, Chairman and Managing Director, Celkon Mobiles said: “Celkon Mobiles is delighted to be associated with WICB in the Tri-series as the Title sponsor. Cricket, as we all know is like a religion in India and connects instantly with the youth, a huge target audience for our brand. As a brand, and we believe cricket is right platform to connect with the youth of today that represents high energy, competitiveness and innovation. We look forward to an exciting series and a great association with all partners in making this series a huge success”.

Michael Muirhead, CEO, WICB said: “We are delighted to have Celkon Mobile on board as the sponsor of the Tri Series. The Celkon Mobile Cup is a high profile series for us with the participation of two of the ICC Cricket World Cup champions – India – and the World Cup finalist Sri Lanka in addition to our own ICC World Twenty20 champions West Indies.” “These continue to be lean financial times but we have seen greater interest from the corporate sector in the area of sponsorship and we have seen an increase in interest in the sponsorship of West Indies cricket from the global corporate space. We thank Celkon Mobile for their investment in West Indies cricket and we are confident that their association with our strong cricket brand will be of benefit to them as a mobile handset and tablet manufacturer,” Muirhead added.

The title sponsorship of the series is part of the WICB’s granting sponsorship and marketing rights for the series to Technology Frontiers, an Indian based company and ITW Consulting which will be marketing the series to potential brands. Technology Frontiers acquired title sponsorship rights to the series, which includes on field, stump, sightscreen and some perimeter advertising.

Nelecia Yeates, Commercial Manager, WICB added: “West Indies cricket will benefit from the association with Technology Frontiers and ITW. We have leveraged the expertise of Technology Frontiers and ITW in the Indian market which have accrued benefits to the WICB and West Indies Cricket. This arrangement has become common practice in the sports business and we are pleased that Technology Frontiers have been able to bring Celkon on board along with other mega-brands in India. What is most exciting for us as a region is that for the first time in the Caribbean we will have fully digitized perimeter advertising for all the matches, which is now the norm in the IPL and Premier League football in England. This initiative takes us into a whole new realm of maximising our cricket branding for international matches and is one in which we will be looking to repeat and expand for future series as well”.

Muralidharan Srinivasan , Managing Director of Technology Frontiers, commented: “Technology Frontiers is pleased to partner with WICB for the upcoming Tri Series with West Indies, India and Sri Lanka. At Technology Frontiers we have constantly endeavored to bring in innovation and technology into sports to elevate the brand experience and this series will be the first Tri Series to have 100% digital branding on ground similar to IPL. We look forward to an exciting tournament and partnership with WICB.”

Phil Hughes and Matthew Wade join with Australia A squad

Chaitanya — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:44:38 +0000

Australian players Phil Hughes and Matthew Wade will join the Australia A squad in Bristol on Tuesday ahead of their final tour match against Gloucestershire beginning on Friday, Cricket Australia (CA) announced.

Both Phil Hughes and Matthew Wade were part of the Champions Trophy squad. Australia crashed out of the tournament after losing to Sri Lanka on Monday by 20 runs.

Captain Michael Clarke, James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson and Chris Rogers will remain in London to prepare before the Ashes squad officially assembles on June 24, CA added.

Ashes Test series begins in England on July 10.

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VVS Laxman: Academies require good coaches for budding cricketers

Chaitanya — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:35:56 +0000

The Former India batsman VVS Laxman Tuesday inaugurated Andhra Cricket Association’s Central Zone Academy at Mangalagiri, and stressed on the need for good coaches to train budding cricketers at academies.

VVS Laxman told reporters after inaugurating Andhra Cricket Association: ”The students who enrol in the cricket academies should also pursue their ambition with dedication and commitment”.

On the occasion, about 35 students were admitted formally in the academy. Laxman remembered how he scored an unforgettable 153 runs for the first time in a Ranji match at Vijayawada in 1990.

To a question, Laxman said that the IPL spot-fixing scandal was unfortunate but added that the league provided opportunities to aspiring cricketers.

Meanwhile, Andhra Cricket Association secretary Arun Kumar said the body has spent Rs 9 crore for establishment of the academy and another Rs 9 crore will be spent on it and everything will be ready in next six months.

At the function, Laxman presented a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the parents of Ricky Bhui, who has been selected for India under-19 team to tour Australia.

Andhra Cricket Association president D V Subba Rao and others were present during the programme.

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Mahela Jayawardene: We are desperate now to beat India in the semi-finals of CT 2013

Chaitanya — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:17:49 +0000

ICC Champions Trophy 2013: Five-wicket defeat to India in a warm-up match before the ICC Champions Trophy has no meaning when Sri Lanka square off against the same opponent in the semifinals.

Mahela Jayawardene said, who reached 11,000 ODI runs yesterday, was the defeat against India in a warm-up game in Birmingham on June 1 date. India easily chased down Lanka 333 for five with Kohli and Dinesh Karthik scored big centuries.

“The warm-up games or whatever, it does not count now. It’s a big tournament. It’s semi-finals, so looking forward to that”.

To beat Sri Lanka by 20 Australia held at the Oval on Monday to finish second in the first group.

Mahela Jayawardene unbeaten 84 to win the man of the match award after he scored Sri Lanka 253 for the loss of eight wickets in a must-win game. While defending Nuwan Kulasekara took 3 for 42 and Rangana scalped 2 for 48 to snuff out a late challenge by the Aussies.

Lanka are traveling to Cardiff on Tuesday to play the semifinal second in the tournament against India on Thursday. On Wednesday, England take on South Africa in the first semi-final match at The Oval.

Mahela Jayawardene, however, admitted that India’s batting looked very strong in the tournament.

“I think they are playing some good cricket really. Beating those looks really strong, so those are the main areas that we need to focus a little’.

On his milestone personal access to the club 11,000 orbit, said Jayawardene: “I did not feel anything is clear, and is pleased when he came numbers so that I can tonight may reflect more on this achievement because we won the game, as well as even more importantly .. contribution I made about the team more valuable to me”.

Mahela Jayawardene said Sri Lanka will be desperate to win the ICC Champions Trophy, the cup shared with India after rain washed out the World Cup in 2002 in Colombo.

“I’ll be in dire need of each game to win, simple as that. It’s not about awards or whatever, it’s just to win games. So I’ll have the same passion and the same desperation to win games, it does not matter whether he told the semi-final or final or just a game group, as long as I have this position and the rest of the boys, and we will go a long way”.

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Rameez Raja wants committee of ex-cricketers to shape Pakistan

Chaitanya — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:05:47 +0000

The Pakistan former captain Rameez Raja wants a committee of ex-cricketers to be formed immediately to suggest and recommend ways to put the national team back on track following a spate of reverses.

Rameez Raja, who has also been critical after the team`s poor showing in the Champions Trophy where it failed to win a single match, said that the first step that needed to be taken to get Pakistan cricket out of a crisis was to form a committee of respected former cricketers.

Rameez Raja said, ”I would say we should have a committee of respected former cricketers who have no vested interests and they should sit down and prepare a blueprint for how Pakistan cricket can be improved in future”.

Rameez Raja, who has also served as chief executive officer in the board in 2003 and 04, said that drastic but sensible measures were required to prepare a workable blueprint.

“Clearly we need to lay lot of stress on our domestic cricket and find out why we are not producing the sort of quality players like we did in the past”.

“The problem is clearly that the board is laying too much stress on quantity but not on quality and the result is we are just not producing batsmen capable of succeeding in different conditions and pitches”.

The former opener said that Pakistan`s miserable batting performance in South Africa and England was a wake-up call.

“These tours have exposed the weaknesses of our players and even the senior ones who have been playing for a long time now but have yet to really deliver at the highest level and against top opposition”.

Rameez Raja said, Pakistan needed to not only restructure its cricket set-up, but also rebuild the national team.

“I think we need to learn from the Indian team how to develop players and how to groom them properly for international competitions”.

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Sri Lanka In semis Australia and New Zealand out

Chaitanya — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:02:58 +0000

ICC Champions Trophy 2013: Sri Lanka won by 20 runs against Australia played at Kennington Oval, London. Mahela Jayawardene scored 84 and completed 11,000 ODI runs, he made enough at The Oval to leave Australia with a near impossible task to elbow past Sri Lanka and New Zealand and so qualify for the Champions Trophy semi-finals.

Sri Lanka’s innings flirted with mediocrity in the face of some diligent Australian bowling until Jayawardene’s delayed arrival, which signalled a late innings surge to 253 for 8. Lahiru Thirmanne had been promoted ahead of Jayawardene at an uncertain 20 for 2, and the switch allowed the senior man to make merry in the later overs against the older ball.

George Bailey’s side must now pass this total within 29.1 overs in order to lift their net run rate to a high enough level to reach the knockout phase. It is an exceptionally tall task on a drying surface, which offered enough assistance for Xavier Doherty to return the figures of 1 for 30 from his 10 overs. By contrast, Sri Lanka simply need to win to ensure their qualification ahead of New Zealand.

Mitchell Johnson was swift and Clint McKay accurate in the early overs after Bailey sent the Sri Lankans in, and a pair of early wickets were adequate reward. But Sri Lanka rebuilt through Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan, before Jayawardene played with his familiar blend of art and invention to take the total beyond 250, after 200 had appeared a more likely tally for much of the innings.

Both sides named unchanged line-ups for the match, Australia’s options reduced for the fixture by their captain Michael Clarke’s continued absence due to back trouble, while David Warner was ruled out by his suspension for punching Joe Root in a Birmingham pub after the opening match against England. Mitchell Starc was another absentee.

The Oval pitch was brown, but overcast skies and a desire to know his eventual target encouraged Bailey to send Sri Lanka in. Johnson’s first two deliveries of the match were poor; the first clattered to the backward point boundary, the second scuttling to fine leg off the pads. But his third was straight and too quick for Kusal Perera, who was clearly LBW.

Kumar Sangakkara hinted at the genius that had guided Sri Lanka to a stirring chase against England on this ground last week, but found himself tied down by McKay’s persistent line and subtle movement. Having already chanced a desperate single, Sangakkara was offered a fraction of extra width and lashed out, but managed only to slice a drive to Glenn Maxwell.

At that moment Australia could envision a slim target, but Thirimanne was sent in to steady the innings in Dilshan’s company, leaving Jayawardene in reserve. A serviceable job was done, gaps found every now and then the Australian bowlers were not gifted any wickets. It took Doherty to split them with a ball that straightened just enough to take an edge, Watson diving alertly to his right.

Angelo Mathews played a halting innings in Jayawardene’s company before losing his off bail to a nicely pitched delivery from James Faulkner, but Dinesh Chandimal was busier and more effective in a fifth-wicket stand of 65 in 56 balls. The Australians fielded soundly enough and did not bowl too much that was loose, but were left to marvel at Jayawardene’s knack for manipulating the field as the score mounted.

In what is becoming a familiar pattern, the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade became embroiled in a profane joust with Jayawardene late in the innings, and 94 runs from the final 13 overs left the Australians hoping for something miraculous.

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Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman to inaugurate Andhra Cricket Academy

Chaitanya — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:39:16 +0000

Former Test cricketer VVS Laxman will inaugurate the Andhra Cricket Academy at Mangalagiri near Vijayawada on Tuesday. The academy not only aims at producing highly talented cricketers for the national team but also focus on the personality development of players who get selected to stay in the new facility, Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) President G Ganga Raju told reporters.

VVS Laxman has declared Rs 1 lakh cash award for teenager Ricky Bhui, who plays for Andhra Pradesh and has been selected for India U-19 team’s tour to Australia.

Arun Kumar, Joint Secretary, ACA said this is first of its kind academy under BCCI where the administration will horn playing skills of a budding cricketer and also take care of his education.

ACA will provide free education to the residential players.

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Ajit Chandila sent to fresh police custody for 3 days

Chaitanya — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:10:27 +0000

IPL Spot-Fixing 2013: Ajit Chandila, arrested in the IPL spot-fixing case, was on Monday remanded in fresh police custody for three days by a Delhi court after the agency said he was required to corroborate evidence collected from other accused after invoking MCOCA.

Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Jain said: ”The matter is being investigated under the provision of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The prosecution is to be given full chance to unearth the entire crime. The accused is remanded in 3-days of police custody”.

The court directed the special cell of Delhi police to produce Chandila before it on June 20.

Meanwhile, the court also deferred hearing on the bail application of Chandila and five others to June 22 after the police informed it that some vital confessional statements of the bookies arrested in the case have to be placed on record. Confessional statement of arrested bookie Sunil Bhatia is being recorded, while that of Ramesh Vyas, another bookie, has already been recorded, the prosecution said.

Apart from Chandila, Bhatia and Vyas, the others whose bail pleas have been deferred to June 22 are bookies Ashwani Aggarwal and Deepak Kumar and ex-Ranji player Baburao Yadav. During the hearing, senior public prosecutor Rajeev Mohan sought fresh five days police remand of Chandila saying that initially he was arrested in the case on May 16 and remained in police custody till May 28 after which he was remanded to judicial custody.

He further informed the court that MCOCA has been invoked against Chandila on June 3, therefore his custody is required to corroborate the evidence collected after invocation of the stringent penal law.

“For the purpose of investigating under MCOCA, accused Ajeet Chandila is required. He is found to be one of the main conspirators and his presence is required to unearth the deep rooted conspiracy of the organised crime being operated by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel”.

The prosecution in their application seeking Chandila’s custody said, “During investigation, lot of supportive evidence like intercepted voice calls, two mobiles used by him (Chandila) in spot/match fixing and match fixing cash of Rs 20 lakhs…

“He was found receiving money from many bookies, fixers in lieu of spot fixing in the cricket match. The bookies who were in direct contact with the underworld have given money to Chandila to fix the players, the prosecution claimed. Chandila’s remand was vehemently opposed by his counsel Rakesh Kumar who said that MCOCA was invoked on June 3 “to trap us and keep us behind the bars as the court was going to grant us bail on June 4″.

Earlier, Delhi police opposed Chandila’s bail plea, saying he was a “key conspirator” in the entire IPL spot fixing case and was acting at the behest of a syndicate run by gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

The police had also opposed bail applications of other co-accused, saying “as per the material on record Bhatia was acting as the henchmen fixer for Ashwani.” The Delhi Police on May 16 had arrested three cricketers, S Sreesanth, Chandila and Ankeet Chavan of Rajasthan Royal’s on charges of spot-fixing.

The Delhi Police had slapped provisions of MCOCA on Sreesanth, Chandila, Chavan and 25 others in the case, alleging that they were acting under the command of Dawood and Chhota Shakeel.

The court had granted bail to Sreesanth, Chavan and 19 others due to lack of evidence to be charged under MCOCA.

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Bangladesh Cricketers Boycott ‘Dhaka Premier League’ First Division Cricket

Chaitanya — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:55:16 +0000

Bangladesh cricketers said at Mirpur Sher-e Bangla National Cricket Stadium that they will boycott Dhaka Cricket League First Division to dissolve the dispute over the player transfer system.

The Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) General Secretary Debabrata Paul Debu declared their decision at a press conference at the stadium Sher-e-Bangla Mirpur.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have allowed the formation of teams through players auction in the Dhaka Premier League like Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

But Bangladesh cricketers are opposing against the auction. According to the Bangladesh Cricket Board-BCB, the players auction will be taken place on 23 June, while the league will begin on 3rd July, 2013.

Debu, CWAB Secretary General informed: “The new rule is not good for cricket. Therefore cricketers have decided to withdraw from the league”.

Bangladesh national cricketers, Bangladesh ‘A’ team and BCB Academy will not participate in the upcoming tournament with the decision. The Bangladesh cricketers are demanding the transfer to be done as per with the previous system.

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Indian squad unchanged for West Indies tri-series

Chaitanya — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:50:08 +0000

India vs West Indies: The national selectors decided to retain the Indian squad that is currently taking part in the ICC Champions Trophy for the upcoming tri-series in West Indies starting from June 28.

The third team of the tri-series is Sri Lanka and the matches will be played in Antigua, Jamaica and Trinidad.

The squad includes five seam bowlers in Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Irfan Pathan and Vinay Kumar, and three spinners: R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra. MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and M Vijay constitute the batting.

With the Indian team performing brilliantly in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2013 where they have qualified for the semi-finals with an all-win record in the group league stages, any changes in the current team was simply out of question.

India had fielded a new-look team for the Champions Trophy, dropping seniors like Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. These players as well as others – including Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh – who had been central to India’s success over the previous decade but have had form and injury issues of late, remain sidelined.

Tri Series between India, West Indies and Sri Lanka in June 2013 Schedule

Dates	Matches and Venues
Friday 28 June	1st Match - West Indies vs India Kingston
Sunday 30 June	2nd Match - India vs Sri Lanka Kingston
Tuesday 2 July	3rd Match - West Indies vs Sri Lanka Kingston
Friday 5 July	4th Match - West Indies vs India Port of Spain
Sunday 7 July	5th Match - India vs Sri Lanka Port of Spain
Tuesday 9 July	6th Match - West Indies vs Sri Lanka Port of Spain
Thursday 11 July	Final Match Port of Spain

Indian Squad:

MS Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, R Vinay Kumar.

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Shane Warne’s ‘sexy’ shirtless picture slammed on Twitter

Chaitanya — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:33:03 +0000

Shane Warne is well known for his love of social media, who tweeted a semi-naked image of his, but his 1.2 million Twitter followers got a little more than they bargained for on Sunday evening. Warne, who is currently based in the UK, tweeted a slightly bizarre photo of himself waking up on Sunday morning English time.

The pic showed a shirtless Warne lying in bed, accompanied by the caption “Morning”.

Shane Warne’s followers let their feeling known on his Instagram page, with one even labeling the photo “un-Australian”.

The image of Warne is a far cry from the chubby, beer-drinking cricketer who dominated world cricket for almost 15 years.

The Daily Telegraph reported: His 11-year-old daughter Summer wrote on the micro-blogging site that the legendary cricketer should remove his image.

@TheBrasher wrote to Warne that it was Twitter and not the local tart’s number.

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Alastair Cook: We were very good in the field

Chaitanya — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:55:59 +0000

ICC Champions Trophy: England captain Alastair Cook on Sunday lauded his team for putting up a good show with both bat and ball in their must-win Group A match against New Zealand at Sophia Gardens here.

England first scored 169 all out against New Zealand and then restricted their rivals to 159 for eight in their crucial rain-curtailed 24-overs a side match.

Alastair Cook was happy with the performance of his team.

Alastair Cook who was adjudged the Man of the Match for his 64 said: ”It was quite a stressful day, especially with those last few overs. We thought we were above the rate but Anderson and Williamson took it on, luckily we got over the line. It was a very fine bowling performance. We were very good in the field today and I thought we were good with the bat, maybe 10 runs short. We`re happy to be in the semi-final, that was a good performance”.

“We`re two games away now. Graeme`s got a calf injury but we`re very lucky to have James Tredwell to step in”.

New Zealand captain, Brendon McCullum said it was the good spells by English pacers early on which put them on the back foot in their chase.

“England bowled outstandingly well at the start of our innings and set us back”.

“Kane and Corey gave us a chance but it wasn`t until they got going and in the end we were short. It`s one of those things (dropping catches), Nathan is normally very good”.

“The run rate has kept us going, it`ll be hard to cheer for Australia but if it keeps us in the tournament, then good”.

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Former Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar wants Tom Moody to be appointed as Pakistan coach

Chaitanya — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:38:10 +0000

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar wants the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to appoint Australia’s Tom Moody as the coach of the national team, which has faced a torrid time in the ICC Champions Trophy, failing to win a single match in three appearances.

Shoaib Akthar said that having worked with Moody he could say for certain the former Australian all-rounder was capable of turning around the fortunes of Pakistan cricket.

Shoaib Akthar said, ”Our problem is we are just not producing or grooming enough quality players. We need to learn to respect our senior players and use their experience accordingly”.

“In other countries the boards try to utilise the services of top players to build up new players but in Pakistan cricket it is vice versa. Dropping Younis Khan or Shahid Afridi for the Champions Trophy was a big mistake. We need someone like Tom Moody to build a new team. I know how he works and I can say for certain he is the one who can not only create a winning culture in the dressing room and groom players but also act as a father figure to them. That is how players are developed and made into world class performers under pressure”.

Tom Moody, a respected international coach, worked with Shoaib Akhtar when he played in English county cricket.

Asked if he felt that Australian Dav Whatmore had failed to deliver as head coach of the national team, Akhtar said, ” The results speak for themselves and it is time to think about changes and bring in new ideas and a will to change the dressing room culture. You need to have senior players like Younis in the dressing room to serve as inspirations for younger players”.

Shoaib Akhtar himself had offered to work as bowling coach with the team but the board rejected his offer insisting he was not qualified as a coach.

“Coaching is good at the grass root level. But when you play international cricket you need to have the quality and ability to adjust to different conditions and circumstances yourself. No coach can teach you how to react in pressure situations or in big matches”.

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Michael Clarke: pub brawl had an impact on his leadership

Chaitanya — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:19:07 +0000

Australia captain Michael Clarke says the actions of David Warner and other team-mates in Birmingham had an “impact on his leadership”.

Michael Clarke said, ”It certainly has an impact on the leadership. There`s no doubt about it”.

Opener David Warner was suspended by Cricket Australia until the start of the Ashes series and fined after attacking England`s Joe Root in a bar.

David Warner along with a few other players found themselves out drinking at Birmingham pub late at night last week following Australia`s 48-run loss to England in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Clarke was quoted as saying by `AAP`: ”To be out at that hour ? carrying on like we were celebrating (after a loss) – especially with the opposition – is not the right time or place to be having a few drinks. I know that I need to continue to work on my leadership and make sure I`m doing everything I can in my power for things like this not to happen.

The incident had raised fresh concerns about the culture of the Australian cricket team going into the Ashes.

In March, four Australia players — Shane Watson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja were dropped by coach Mickey Arthur for the third Test in India after failing to submit feedback requested by the team management.

Michael Clarke said, ”I think we as a leadership group need to continue to try and improve. I do believe we have come a long way in regards to the culture of this team and setting up our behaviour standards and what we feel is acceptable and non-acceptable. As captain of this team I don`t shy away from any accountability”.

The Australian skipper further added, “It not only has an impact on Dave, it has an impact on the team, it has an impact on our supporters. The people that come and watch and support our great game. We don`t want to be letting anyone down. We`ve got enough to focus on on the field to become the best team we can be. And we definitely don`t need these distractions off the field”.

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Kevin Pietersen is ready to return from injury

Cricket Highlights, Cricket Photos, Cricket News — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:18:24 +0000

Kevin Pietersen is ready to return from injury

Kevin Pietersen after returning from injury will make his first appearance for Surrey this year against Yorkshire at Headingley on Friday in the County Championship. This boosts England hopes of the batsman being fit for the start of the Ashes series.

Asked by a follower on Twitter if he would be involved in Surrey’s County Championship match against Yorkshire, Pietersen replied “YES I AM!“

Pietersen has not played since March and faces a race against time to prove his fitness and form ahead of the first Ashes test against Australia at Trent Bridge on July 10.

Should he come through the game for Surrey unscathed, Pietersen could play in England’s warm-up match against Essex on June 30.

The first Ashes Test against Australia just over three weeks away, Pietersen will make a timely return in the four-day Division One match for his county.

Surrey will not officially announce their team until Thursday. But as long as Pietersen does take part, he will then have a second opportunity – for England against Essex at Chelmsford – for match action before the five-Test series against Australia.

Pietersen has been training with his England team-mates over the last two weeks as he has stepped up his recovery bid.

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