All posts by h716a5.icu

Sohail Tanvir, the Pakistan allrounder, is set to join Hampshire for all formats from May 23 until the end of the group matches of the Friends Life t20.

Umar Farooq15-May-2013Sohail Tanvir, the Pakistan allrounder, is set to join Hampshire for all formats from May 23 until the end of the group matches of the Friends Life t20.Tanvir will be Hampshire’s second overseas player and will join Australia’s George Bailey for the defence of their T20 title.Tanvir, 28, is currently out of contention for Pakistan. He was named in the 30-man preliminarily squad for the Champions Trophy but failed to find a place in the final 15. He last featured for Pakistan against India for a T20 International last year in Ahmedabad. Afterwards he was dropped for Pakistan’s tour of South Africa but was recalled for the final two ODIs but never made into the XI.”Tanvir will be playing for Hampshire until the end of the T20 competition,” Umran Khan, Tanvir’s agent told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a full contract with an understanding to play from May 23 that includes all the formats. He has already applied for a visa.”For the last two years, Hants had tried to sign the flamboyant Shahid Afridi, who had a successful stay in 2011 – taking 17 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 11.17. He was due to return in 2012 but encountered visa delays and never made it.Tanvir, who played for South African side Highveld Lions in last year’s Champions League, was due to play for Worcestershire but that contract was cancelled after visa problems. According to his initial contract understanding with Hants, he will be playing until July 31, so will be available for the Sri Lanka Premier League from August 10.”Initially I am looking at the end of the T20 group stage,” Tanvir said. “But I can miss the two three matches of Sri Lanka League to extend my stay for Hants.”

The much talked-about ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit report on BPL corruption has been delayed further. This time the wait could be till the first week of August

Mohammad Isam29-Jun-2013The much talked-about ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit report on BPL corruption has been delayed further. This time the wait could be till the first week of August, according to BCB president Nazmul Hassan. Mohammad Ashraful, the only one interviewed by the ACSU to have publicly confessed of wrongdoings, will remain temporarily suspended.If the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, the country’s domestic one-day competition, begins in July, which is the off-season in Bangladesh, Ashraful will miss the tournament. However, Hassan’s anxiety regarding other players’ names cropping up in the ACSU report seems to have abated for now.”They haven’t completed the report,” Hassan said. “They are yet to complete interviews outside Bangladesh. As a result, they have asked for more time. From what I have understood after talking to them, I think we will most probably get the report in the first week of August.”Because Ashraful is already temporarily suspended and the report is still not submitted, we don’t know what sort of decision we should take against him. He won’t play in this tournament, the rest can play.”Hassan also discussed the possibility of further investigation and the formation of a 10-member tribunal, procedures he had ruled out when he first spoke publicly about the BPL corruption investigation.”They have a few more steps remaining. Firstly, they will present their report. We have to see whether the evidence they have gathered against a certain player is enough, based on which we can take a decision against a player or anyone else.”We could also have to do further investigation or form a tribunal, which is within the rules. The tribunal will take time, and since this is a lengthy procedure, it is not wise to hasten such a matter. We will start the league very soon.”The league has been delayed three times already. It was first supposed to held in March and has changed dates twice in July.

A late charge followed by disciplined bowling fashioned a tight win – the second in two days – for Khan Research Labs, as they beat Sui Northern Gas Pipelines by three runs

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsZain Abbas’ took two wickets in an over to go with his 23 off 24 balls to claim the Man-of-the-Match award•PCBA lower-order charge followed by disciplined bowling fashioned a tight win – the second in two days – for Khan Research Labs, as they beat Sui Northern Gas Pipelines by three runs. Defending 11 off the last over, with Azhar Ali on 57 still at the crease, 19-year-old Usman Khan gave away only eight and claimed a wicket off the final ball to seal the win.Having elected to bat first, KRL’s openers Mohammad Yasin and Zain Abbas took advantage of the field restrictions in the first six overs, hitting seven fours in a solid 40-run partnership. Amid steady progress, the only glitch being Abbas’ wicket in the seventh over, 21-year old medium pacer Bilawal Bhatti tore through KRL’s middle order in the space of three legitimate balls. He bowled a wide in between dismissing Saeed Anwar jr and Mohammad Yasin and then broke Ali Khan’s stumps off the next ball as well to leave KRL at 75 for 4 from 74 for 1 in the 13th over. An unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership of 33 runs in 19 balls between Naved Yasin and Zulfiqar Jan took KRL’s score to 131 in 20 overs, the exact total they made during their Super Over win against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited.SNGPL’s chase hinged on Azhar Ali, who arrived to the crease after opener Azeem Ghumman fell in the second over. He and captain Taufeeq Umar added 51 runs together, before the latter became the first of two wickets claimed by Zain Abbas in the 11th over. Again SNGPL had to rebuild and Ali forged a 61-run stand with Ali Waqas, comprising six fours and a six. With two set batsmen at the crease and Ali having already completed his fifty, Rahat Ali struck a telling blow removing Waqas in the 19th over. An equation that read 11 off six balls became four off one when Usman Khan had Imran Khalid caught off the last ball.

Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain and fast bowler Mahbubul Alam, two of the nine charged by the ICC on alleged corruption during this season’s BPL, have formally pleaded not guilty

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2013Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain and fast bowler Mahbubul Alam, two of the nine charged by the ICC on alleged corruption during this season’s BPL, have formally pleaded not guilty. The hearing would take place before an Anti-Corruption Tribunal, a 10-member panel headed by the former chief justice Mahmudul Amin Chowdhury.Mosharraf was charged for alleged match-fixing in Dhaka Gladiators’ February 2 BPL match against Chittagong Kings earlier this year. Mahbubul, his Gladiators team-mate, was accused of fixing the matches against Barisal Burners and Chittagong Kings. Both players have claimed their innocence, and their lawyers have termed the allegations “baseless”.”These are baseless allegations,” Barrister Noorus Sadik Chowdhury told the daily after submitting a hardcopy of their appeal to the BCB, having already e-mailed it to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).”There is no specific allegation made on the basis of any substantial evidence. Because they had made the allegation on the basis of doubt, it can always be questioned.”Noorus also questioned whether the ICC and the ACSU had the right to investigate, claiming it does not follow the BCB’s code of conduct.”We doubt, according to the disciplinary code, whether ACSU and ICC have the authority to investigate this case,” Noorus said. “We are still in doubt about that and will be trying to prove that. In the Anti-Corruption Code of the BCB for the participant there are specific sections, and under this code ACSU and ICC are not the authority. They are not authorized to frame charges or investigate.”Advocate Saifuzzaman Tuhin has said that they had asked the BCB to lift the ban on the players.”In other countries, the accused are permitted to play, but that is not the case here,” Tuhin said. “So whether there is any conspiracy needs to be determined. We asked [the BCB] to withdraw the ban on them.”Noorus added that the players have been in turmoil following the allegations. “They are in a depressed state, as both of them are promising players and this kind of allegation at this point of time always puts you in an awkward situation,’ Noorus said. “Nevertheless, they are confident. They are not devastated, but they are upset.”

Mark Stoneman made 96 and, although his team missed out on a second batting point, Durham’s seamers claimed three Sussex wickets before the close

Jon Culley at Chester-le-Street03-Sep-2013
ScorecardMark Stoneman was the only man to really get stuck in for Durham•Getty ImagesIt is hard to think now that Durham were a popular choice as relegation candidates before the season began and at a disadvantage from the outset, having been docked two-and-a-half points for breaching the terms of the salary cap. Now it would surprise many of their doubters if they failed to win the title.With a game in hand on Yorkshire, whom they trailed by five-and-a-half points after their victory at Scarborough last week, they are favourites with the bookmakers, although the final few weeks threaten to be anything but straightforward. This is the first of two matches against Sussex, who themselves are not out of the running yet, despite their oddly conservative performance against Warwickshire last week. Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, who provide their other opponents, are both battling for survival.Durham missed out on a second batting point here, which may or may not prove costly during the next three and a half weeks, when Graham Onions was persuaded by James Anyon bowling three short balls in a row to attempt a pull and paid the price, the ball looping to Will Beer at midwicket.It was a rash stroke, yet if 245 seemed a little below par – which it is, on the basis that the average first-innings score here this season has been 281 – it was worth bearing in mind that Durham had batted first in all six home matches before this one and always had a first-innings lead.They have some handicaps in this match. Ben Stokes, who has been in outstanding form with bat and ball, is on England duty, while Mark Wood and James Harrison have joined Callum Thorp among those injured. They have had to recall Mitch Claydon, who has already agreed to join Kent next season, from his loan spell at Canterbury in order to reinforce their seam attack.It is just as well that Onions, missing for the last three weeks, has recovered from his broken finger. He took a little time to find his rhythm, understandably, but still managed to have Chris Nash caught at slip and trap Michael Yardy leg-before and Sussex may feel they might have been in much worse shape than 60 for 3 overnight. They also lost Joe Gatting, bowled by Claydon, while Luke Wells was dropped behind the stumps before he had scored as Chris Rushworth delivered a testing spell from the Lumley End.Not for the first time this year, a solid chunk of Durham’s total was supplied by Mark Stoneman, who has a chance to top 1000 first-class runs in a season for the first time, which would be appropriate reward for a year that has seen the elegant opener make a real breakthrough.It has been a long time coming, but Durham always knew, somehow, that their patience with Stoneman would be worth it in the end. They must be pretty pleased now that they didn’t give up during the barren four years between his first Championship century, in his debut season in 2007, and his second, or the 15 months that came and went between his second and his third.His slow progress was a surprise, given the team-mates he has had as close-hand role models, among them Michael di Venuto, Dale Benkenstein, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ian Blackwell. Sometimes, though, to play in heavyweight company can be an inhibiting factor and this seems to have been the case with Stoneman, now 26, who has acquired seniority of a kind after the retirements of Di Venuto and Blackwell and with Benkenstein sidelined by long-term injury.He did not start this season especially well. In his first five innings, he made it into double figures only once, but then came a second-innings hundred against Yorkshire in April, since when he has found a remarkably consistent level, passing fifty nine times in 18 innings.He has had three hundreds – two against Yorkshire, after his 122 at Scarborough – and looked set for a fourth here until, on 96, he was bowled by Lewis Hatchett, the ball taking out his leg stump via an inside edge. Given that he had been dropped in the slips on 44– by a nervous debutant, Harry Finch – the extra 52 runs were arguably a slightly undeserved bonus, but on the balance of quality over the piece he could hardly have been begrudged another ton.Stoneman was the first victim in a spell of three wickets for five runs in 19 balls by Hatchett, whose contract is up this autumn. He brought one back to have Paul Collingwood leg-before and produced a fine delivery to square up Phil Mustard, who was caught at second slip. The left-armer was outshone, though not by Anyon, who took four wickets, but by Steve Magoffin, whose three took him to 57 in this season’s Championship. The Australian seamer was still swinging the ball deep into the innings. If his usual partner, Chris Jordan, had been available, Durham might have struggled still more.As it was, even though Scott Borthwick, their other breakthrough performer with the bat, failed on this occasion, support for Stoneman from Will Smith, Michael Richardson and Usman Arshad, who batted nicely for his 30, gave them a total that, on the initial evidence, can be the basis for another lead.

Ahmedabad could still host some matches in the ongoing Champions League

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2013Ahmedabad could still host some matches in the ongoing Champions League. After a double washout and the moving out of another game out of Ahmedabad, and amid early news that the last double-header on Monday was set to move out, it has finally stopped raining and the Gujarat Cricket Association is confident of getting the ground ready.The teams had been told to stay prepared for a move earlier, but now two days are being deemed enough to prepare the ground, despite the week-long rain. The double header is scheduled to be played on September 30, a day on which scattered thunderstorms are predicted with a 60% chance of precipitation.Persistent torrential rain over the last week have left the outfield at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera submerged. The two games on Monday, between Titans and Trinidad & Tobago, and Brisbane Heat and Sunrisers Hyderabad, were likely to be moved to Ranchi.A few days earlier, the match between Lions and Mumbai Indians, scheduled for Friday evening, was also moved to Jaipur because of rain.*September 28, 0900GMT The story has been updated after it stopped raining in Ahmedabad

Sheldon Cotterell, the left arm seamer, is eager to make an impression after being called up for the West Indies Test team due to tour India in November

Renaldo Matadeen08-Oct-2013Sheldon Cotterell, the left-arm seamer, is eager to make an impression after being called up for the West Indies Test team due to tour India in November. However, he is awaiting a fitness result that could hamper his chances of playing his first Test.Cotterell was replaced on the A team’s tour of India by Fidel Edwards due to injury, but was named in the 16-man squad led by Darren Sammy. Though twisting his knee knee in training had prevented him for familiarising with Indian pitches, Cotterrell remained buoyant about his prospects.”I am really looking forward to going to India and playing, as with my pace, aggression and accuracy, I know I can take wickets”, he said. “There is also the fact that the Indians tend to struggle a bit against good fast bowling, and with me being in some sort of form I know I could cause some problems.”The injury is coming on much better now and there’ll be an assessment this Wednesday,” he added. “It’s a scan and then a decision will be taken as to whether or not I am fit enough to go. I won’t cheat myself and my body. If I know I am not fit enough, I will not go. There is a lot of cricket for me play and there will be much more opportunities if this one does not come through.”Cotterell has struggled to impress for Jamaica since his regional debut in 2011 – 40 in 18 matches – but did catch eyes in the 2013 CPL – eight wickets in seven matches, with a best of 4 for 20. The first Test is set to commence on November 6 in while the second is slated for November 14. The three ODIs will be played on November 21, 24 and 27.

Rain prevented either side pushing for victory on the final afternoon at the SCG, where New South Wales had to settle for first-innings points in their match against Queensland

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2013
ScorecardNathan Hauritz picked up 4 for 93•Getty ImagesRain prevented either side pushing for victory on the final afternoon at the SCG, where New South Wales had to settle for first-innings points in their match against Queensland. The Bulls were set an unlikely 313 to win and when the rain came shortly after the tea break, they were 3 for 135 – effectively four down with Matthew Gale injured and unable to bat – with Peter Forrest on 41 and James Hopes on 40.Usman Khawaja had been caught behind off the bowling of Sean Abbott for 25 after Queensland lost both openers, Nathan Reardon for 22 and Greg Moller for 1. Earlier, the Blues had declared at 9 for 221, a score set up by 67 to each of the openers, Nic Maddinson and Ryan Carters.Nathan Hauritz picked up 4 for 93 for the Bulls and sparked a mini-collapse as New South Wales lost 4 for 2 in the space of four overs. But the stand-in captain Peter Nevill steadied the Blues with 29 before the declaration came.

A round-up of the President’s Cup One-Day Trophy matches that took place on December 10, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2013Saeed Anwar jr made a 30-ball 36 and took four wickets as Khan Research Laboratories defeated Pakistan International Airlines by 66 runs in Rawalpindi. PIA decided to field first, and left-arm seamer Najaf Shah took five wickets to help bowl KRL out for 215 with eight balls remaining. Five KRL batsmen crossed 20, but no one made more than Usman Salahuddin’s 45. KRL began slowly, but their fourth, fifth and sixth-wicket pairs added 104 between them in 75 balls to take them to 195 for 5 in the 39th over. But after they lost Umaid Asif, who made a 20-ball 42, KRL collapsed, losing their last five wickets for just 20 runs.PIA began their chase shakily, with only three of their batsmen getting into double figures and no one crossing 40. They had brief hopes of a revival when Shoaib Khan sr and Sheharyar Ghani put on 59 for the third wicket, but left-arm spinner Anwar dismissed Shoaib and Faisal Iqbal in the same over to leave them 80 for 4. Sarfraz Ahmed made 34, but no one stuck around with him, and PIA were bowled out after 32 overs for 149.Fast bowlerAdil Raza took three wickets within the first ten overs to set up a five-wicket win for United Bank over National Bank in Islamabad. Raza vindicated United Bank’s decision to field first by dismissing Nasir Jamshed and Akbar-ur-Rehman in successive overs to leave National Bank 36 for 2 after seven overs. In his next over, Raza bowled Kamran Akmal, who had struck five fours in a run-a-ball 28.Fawad Alam made a battling 67, but no one lasted long enough at the other end to help him form a sizable partnership – the biggest was 41 for the seventh wicket between Alam and Wahab Riaz. National Bank only lasted 41 overs, and were bowled out for 164. Raza finished with figures of 3 for 36 from eight overs, while Tariq Haroon, Kashif Bhatti and Atif Maqbool took two wickets each.United Bank got to their target with 44 balls remaining, with four of their top five batsmen crossing 20 – No. 5 Wajihuddin top-scored with an unbeaten 40 – and the National Bank bowlers contributed to their cause by conceding 21 wides.Farrukh Shehzad’s maiden List A ton sent State Bank of Pakistan on their way to a 12-run win over Water and Power Development Authority in Islamabad.Shehzad struck 18 fours during his knock, and was eventually dismissed for a 114-ball 128 after being caught by Mohammad Mudassar off Asif Ali, who picked up three scalps. No.8 batsman Rizwan Haider added a late surge, blasting 74 off just 36 deliveries, with three fours and seven sixes, to propel the team to 307 for 9 from their 45 overs.WAPDA began their chase solidly, as Rafatullah Mohmand and Mohammad Ayub put on 55 for the first wicket. Mohmand fell for 26, but Ayub’s 66 and a 75-ball 100 from Ayaz Tasawwar helped WAPDA make good progress.At 290 for 6, WAPDA were within sight of victory, but lost their remaining wickets for just five runs, as Hasan Mahmood and Jalat Khan took four wickets apiece for State B of P to clean up the tail and seal the win.An all-round performance from Khurram Shehzad helped Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited to a four-wicket win over Pakistan Television at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.Shehzad picked up three wickets to bundle Pakistan TV out for 180, before scoring a 50-ball 36 that helped SNGPL recover from a precarious 16 for 2.Imran Ali and Imran Khalid chipped in for SNGPL with two wickets each, and along with Shehzad ran through a Pakistan TV batting line-up that produced no significant scores barring 57 from Mohammad Sami and 41 from Yasim Murtaza at No.8. Eight of their batsmen failed to reach double digits, and they were bowled out in 44.2 overs.SNGPL lost six wickets during their chase, but overhauled the paltry target quite easily in the end, with almost 10 overs remaining, thanks to handy contributions from Shehzad, Taufeeq Umar, Abubakar Khan and Adnan Akmal, who all made over 30.An unbeaten 91 from Mohammad Salman proved the difference for Port Qasim Authority, as they defeated Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited by 35 runs in Sialkot.Salman struck 12 fours during his innings, and added 122 for the sixth wicket with Daniyal Ahsan, who made 58, to power Port Qasim to 277 for 9.ZTBL’s top order all made starts during their chase, but only the opener Shahid Yousuf crossed 50, making 59 from 67 deliveries with 10 fours, and in the absence of any big partnerships in the middle, the team eventually fell short. Sohail Khan was the pick of Port Qasim’s bowlers with 4 for 41 while Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Talha claimed two victims each, to bowl ZTBL out for 242 in 43.2 overs.

England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas is in major doubt for the Big Bash League after fracturing his jaw

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2013England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas, is in major doubt for the Big Bash League after fracturing his jaw. Mascarenhas, who is also the assistant coach of the Hobart Hurricanes, was hit while batting in a practice match on Thursday and underwent surgery on his jaw on Friday morning.Mascarenhas will be examined next week by his surgeon, who will determine the recovery period for the allrounder.Mascarenhas had switched to the Hurricanes side this season after playing the second edition for Melbourne Stars, and is one of the major signings for the Hurricanes along with the Pakistan batsman, Shoaib Malik. In 2012, he had led Hampshire to a title win in the Friends Life t20 tournament, but retired from county cricket earlier this year. He has played 20 ODIs for England scoring 245 runs and taking 13 wickets. In T20s, he has played 14 games for England, scoring 123 runs and taking 12 wickets.The Hurricanes were semi-finalists in the opening season of the Big Bash League but finished in the bottom half of the table in 2012.