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Tamim Iqbal has said that he enjoyed observing those around him at the IPL, especially the big two in his team – captain and mentor Sourav Ganguly, and Australia captain Michael Clarke

Mohammad Isam26-May-2012A few weeks outside of his comfort zone hasn’t caused Tamim Iqbal to shed his energetic demeanour. Talking to the media for the first time since returning to Dhaka after the IPL, where he did not get a game in 16 matches for his franchise, Pune Warriors, his answers were an exercise in controlled emotions and wit. He took the route that would help soothe his and the fans’ nerves. In fact, he said he was not available for the team’s final two matches due to “personal reasons”.”It will be selfish to say that they [Warriors] didn’t let me play,” Tamim said on Saturday. “I have always been a team man, wherever I’ve played.”Being one of only two representatives from Bangladesh in a multi-national tournament like the IPL meant that there was added pressure, especially after going into the tournament on the back of four consecutive half-centuries in Bangladesh’s highly successful Asia Cup campaign. That good form also added to Tamim’s frustration at not playing. “It was very frustrating, because I went there with very good form. I thought I would play from the start, but the team is the most important factor. I thought every day was an opportunity for me, despite not playing.”The thing that I liked the most was that despite being from Bangladesh, I did speak during team meetings. These things are very important because our team [Bangladesh] needs a lot of leadership qualities, so if we can speak to big players [from other countries] and in big team meetings, our leadership qualities will rise. I’m sure Shakib has done it [at his IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders], and I did it.”Tamim also said that he enjoyed observing those around him, especially the big two in his team – captain and mentor Sourav Ganguly, and Australia captain Michael Clarke. “They are both very different human beings; they have different ways of thinking. It was very interesting to see how they talk in team meetings, especially Ganguly, who is one of India’s best captains. I saw something in him … the way he talks, he means something.”Clarke told me that I should be playing, that meant a lot to me. If he rates me highly, why should I be disappointed? More importantly, I got the idea that he follows Bangladesh cricket. He and I spoke a few times and he told me that our unit has a lot of potential. He also said that we have a chance to impress at the next World Cup.Despite being in such exalted company, Tamim remained a competitor and yearned to play. He was told to be prepared to play on several occasions, he said, but his chance just did not come. “There were many instances when I was asked to get ready but in the end I didn’t play. I was being told, when six matches were left to play, that you’ll play this game, that game … When I shared my problem with them, they told me to go home and sort it out first …””But I’m just 23, I have 10-12 years of cricket in me, so if I keep performing there will be a lot of opportunities.”Now Tamim will take a few days off before joining Victoria Sporting Club in the Dhaka Premier Division’s Super League from May 31. Later, in mid-June, he will travel with Bangladesh to Zimbabwe.

Worcestershire are bracing themselves for flooding at New Road after heavy rain forced the abandonment of their Championship match against Nottinghamshire

Jon Culley at New Road29-Apr-2012
ScorecardNew Road could once again find itself under water due to the recent heavy rainfall•PA Photos

Worcestershire are bracing themselves for flooding at New Road after heavy rain forced the abandonment of their Championship match against Nottinghamshire.Umpires Michael Gough and Nick Cook decided soon after 9am that torrential overnight rain on top of an already wet outfield would make play impossible but the loss of the last day of a match heading for a draw may be the least of the club’s worries.The Environment Agency has flood alerts in place for the nearby Severn and Teme rivers and a spokesman said: “The Environment Agency is closely monitoring the forecast and rainfall, particularly in Worcestershire, as the river levels are already higher than normal in the rivers Severn, Teme and Avon.”Worcestershire chief executive David Leatherdale admitted he had his fingers crossed with rain forecast to continue through much of Sunday. “The river levels have risen considerably overnight and we are concerned about the effects that today’s rain will have,” he said. “There is nothing we can do apart from wait, unfortunately.”Contingency plans are in place to move fixtures to Kidderminster should the worst happen. The next scheduled first-team cricket at New Road is the Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Netherlands on May 7, followed two days later by a four-day match against Surrey, in which England’s Kevin Pietersen is due to make his only Championship appearance of the season.Worcestershire had to switch the final two matches of the 2008 season to Kidderminster after floods in September, although that was a minor inconvenience compared with the previous summer, when no cricket was possible on the ground from mid-June onwards, costing the club around £1 million in clean-up costs and lost revenue, largely from the loss of lucrative Twenty20 fixtures.New Road has a history of winter floods but the 2007 flood was the first to cause fixtures to be moved since 1969. The following year’s repetition had a direct bearing on the decision to demolish the ground’s historic Victorian pavilion and replace it with the glass-fronted Graeme Hick pavilion, built on stilts one metre higher than the 100-year highest water level.”It means that the pavilion can continue to be used for commercial activity but there is nothing we can do to prevent the field flooding if the worst happens,” Leatherdale said. “We would try to get the ground ready again as quickly as possible but how long that takes would depend on how badly it floods. A few inches in the car parks would be one thing, the ground under several feet of water quite another matter.”The 2007 flood left a quarter of an inch of silt covering the entire playing surface, which had to be reseeded in its entirety. No cricket was played until the following April.

Full text of the BCCI release announcing the ban of five Indian domestic players facing allegations of corruption

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2012The Disciplinary Committee of the BCCI, comprising Mr. N. Srinivasan, Mr. Arun Jaitley and Mr. Niranjan Shah met at the Cricket Centre earlier today.The Committee perused the report of Mr. Ravi Sawani, the Commissioner of Inquiry. The Committee also accorded a personal hearing to T. Sudhindra, Abhinav Bali and Mohnish Mishra. Shalabh Srivastava and Amit Yadav pleaded their respective cases through teleconference.After considering Mr. Sawani’s report and the pleadings by the players, the Disciplinary Committee decided the penalties as follows:T. SUDHINDRA:The Committee held Sudhindra guilty of actually receiving a consideration to spot-fix in a domestic cricket match, and hence imposed exemplary penalty on him. Sudhindra has been debarred for life, from playing any cricket matches conducted or authorized by the ICC or BCCI, or any affiliated unit of the BCCI. He will not be entitled to the monthly gratis, benevolent fund, benefit match or any other facility, in lieu of. He cannot hold any position in any cricket association affiliated to the BCCI, for life.SHALABH SRIVASTAVA:Shalabh Srivastava was held guilty of agreeing to fix a match and negotiate terms for the same, even though no actual match-fixing or spot fixing took place. He has been debarred for a period of five years, from playing any cricket matches conducted or authorized by the ICC or BCCI, or any affiliated unit of the BCCI. He will not be entitled to the monthly gratis, benevolent fund, benefit matches or any other facility, during this period. He cannot hold any position in any cricket association affiliated to the BCCI, for a period of five years.MOHNISH MISHRA:AMIT YADAV:ABHINAV BALI:The three players, through loose talk and unsubstantiated bragging, brought the game into disrepute, and hence, have been held guilty of the lesser offence. They have been debarred for a period of one year, from playing any cricket matches conducted or authorized by the ICC or BCCI, or any affiliated unit of the BCCI. The penalties will be effective from the date of the suspension of the players – 15 May 2012.Sanjay JagdaleHony. SecretaryBCCI

Mark Boucher required immediate surgery on his left eye after being struck by a bail on the opening day of South Africa’s first tour match against Somerset at Taunton

Firdose Moonda at Taunton09-Jul-2012Mark Boucher’s participation for the Test series against England is in doubt after he suffered a “significant injury,” to his left eye during the tour match against Somerset. Boucher had to leave the field at the end of the 46th over when a googly from Imran Tahir hit the stumps and a dislodged bail struck Boucher in the left eye. Photographs showed Boucher bleeding from the eye as he left the field.He will undergo surgery on Monday night to determine the seriousness of the injury – which was diagnosed as laceration of the sclera, the white part of the eye – but it looms as a potential career-ender as Boucher said the tour of England would be his last.”I don’t think he will be ready for the first Test and I don’t know about the series,” Moosajee said. “I would rather like to see the outcome of the surgery first before saying anything further. At the moment, the concern is more Mark Boucher the patient, rather than whether he is going to partake in this tour.”Moosajee said Boucher was in his usual “fighting spirits,” but in a lot of pain. “When he got hit it caused dizziness out there and he had to helped off. They have also given him something to control the pain before he has the surgery.”However, South Africa appeared resigned to being without Boucher, who had been set to reach 150 Tests at Lord’s, after bowling coach Allan Donald said they were “gutted,” by the news. “I’ve never seen Mark Boucher as fit, as motivated or as determined for one series,” Donald said. “This is his last series and he wants to go out on a high with the 150th Test. The way he led in Switzerland was magnificent. His leadership and what he has in team meetings is something else. I’m sure Mark would want us to refocus but this is a massive loss for us.”Donald named AB de Villiers as “a more than accomplished keeper,” who could do a stand-in job, as he did in this match, but it is expected that South Africa will call up a replacement wicket-keeper if needed. Thami Tsolekile, who was nationally contracted from April 1, is the likeliest candidate.Tsolekile recently played for the South Africa A side in the two unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A and has also been named in the squad to travel to Ireland to shadow the senior side from the third Test.Tsolekile last played for South Africa in 2004 when he represented the country in three Tests including one against England at Port Elizabeth. Since then, he has changed franchises, from the Cape Town based Cobras to the Johannesburg team, Lions, where he has spent the last three seasons. Tsolekile was earmarked as the successor to Boucher, who indicated he would retire after the England series, when he was awarded a central contract and was chosen to play for the A side.He equalled the South African record for the most catches in a first-class innings when he claimed eight in the first innings of the match against Sri Lanka A, which ended in a draw on Monday.

The BCCI has asked IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore to get NOCs from its players on a revised payment schedule

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2012The BCCI has asked IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore to get NOCs from its players on a revised payment schedule. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, several India and overseas players contracted to the franchise, including team captain Daniel Vettori, have not been paid the first installment of their salaries for the 2012 season.”The IPL governing council today summoned the RCB officials to the governing council meeting to discuss on the players’ payment issue,” a senior governing council member told . “After discussions, the BCCI has asked RCB to get ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the cricketers on the revised payment schedule. The franchise has promised that they would produce the NOC in some time.””The BCCI can still wait for its yearly franchise fee but it is unfair if the players’ salaries are not paid on time,” the official said.The players affected include those from India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. It is believed that Chris Gayle, though, has been paid his contracted amount.Under every identical IPL contract, signed between the player, the franchise and the IPL, the players are due 15% of their fee for the season by April 1 (before the IPL or very early into it), 50% by May 1 (during the IPL or towards its end), 20% after the Champions League and 15% by December 1. It is understood that the players emailed the management after the season finished in May, but did not receive a straightforward response. Royal Challengers’ franchise owners, the UB group, have recently hit financial strife, with owner Vijay Mallya’s airline found to be in debt of $1.3b.

Chris Woakes’ defiant 80 ensured Warwickshire warmed up for their bid to complete a double by holding off a late Nottinghamshire charge and claiming a draw in the final match of their campaign.

14-Sep-2012
ScorecardKeith Barker’s counterattacking 44 helped Warwickshire survive to a draw•Getty Images

Chris Woakes’ defiant 80 ensured Warwickshire warmed up for their bid to complete a double by holding off a late Nottinghamshire charge and claiming a draw in the final match of their campaign.The Bears – already confirmed as Division One champions going into their final match at Trent Bridge – take on Hampshire in the Clydesdale Bank 40 final at Lord’s and were at times struggling to avoid going into that clash on the back of a defeat as Paul Franks with 4for 47 and Luke Fletcher, 3 for 58 starred.But Woakes held their second innings together after an early slump to 32 for 3, as they were set an unlikely 421 to win from 90 overs, putting on 57 with Ian Westwood, who made 46 and then 89 with Ian Blackwell, 44 as the visitors recovered to 224 for 5.Franks’ three wickets in eight balls threw the game back up in the air before Keith Barker’ 44 not out and Chris Wright with an unbeaten 19 batted out the final 12.5 overs to deny the hosts a win that would have lifted them up to third in the Division One table.With a 395-run overnight lead, Notts strangely chose to bat on for four overs, during which they added 25 runs but declared on 469 for 8 before Franks, who finished 86 not out and Fletcher, on 42, had had the opportunity to reach their respective milestones.Fletcher quickly hit his straps with ball in hand as Varun Chopra nicked behind to Chris Read. The same combination then worked to good effect twice more as Darren Maddy was undone by extra bounce and left-hander Jim Troughton fended at one angled across him.Rikki Clarke began the Warwickshire fightback as he and Westwood shared a partnership of 46 until his leg stump was removed by Paul Franks soon after lunch, while Westwood’s resistance was eventually ended by spinner Graeme White, who induced a catch at slip.However, Woakes, who smashed two sixes into the new stand off White to reach fifty and hit 12 fours in his 139-ball knock, found another able partner in Blackwell either side of tea.At that point, there appeared little likelihood of a result until Franks first had Blackwell, who had struck three fours and two sixes from 85 balls, brilliantly caught at slip by Mullaney and then pinned Richard Johnson lbw next ball. When Woakes was caught at short cover, also off Franks, the tension grew but Notts could not ram home their advantage, even with the use of the new ball for the final 10 overs.

Kevin Pietersen could find a dated interview comes back to haunt him when he tries to patch up his differences with England

David Hopps30-Aug-2012Kevin Pietersen could find a dated interview comes back to haunt him when he tries to patch up his differences with England.The ECB hierarchy will try to reach an understanding with Pietersen this weekend when Hugh Morris, England’s managing director, and the director of cricket Andy Flower hold what is expected to be the first of several meetings.As they seek confirmation of Pietersen’s absolute commitment to England, they will be met with “fresh” criticism of their negative attitude towards IPL and read that he is revelling in his one-day retirement.It was a brazenly confident Pietersen who spoke to magazine three weeks before the Headingley Test that brought about his downfall – and as that magazine is published this week, with his picture on the cover, he may cringe in hindsight at his comments.Pietersen has since sworn allegiance to England in all forms of the game in a YouTube video, without his blandishments being returned, as England play hardball over what they regard as his disloyalty and disruptive influence.But that love of the English season was not apparent when he spoke to the magazine three weeks before a Headingley Test against South Africa where his behaviour deepened divisions between him and his team-mates and led him to complain that it was “tough being me” in the England dressing room.The magazine quotes him revelling in his enforced one-day retirement, referring to England’s abandoned third ODI against West Indies: “Hey, a game called off in Leeds or 35 degrees on a beach in Portugal? It’s a no-brainer.”Pietersen will find consolation in the fact that England’s director of cricket, Andy Flower, has also called for an IPL window, but even so his veiled criticism of the ECB’s hostile attitude towards the IPL will not please his masters.”Test cricket is right up there, most definitely,” he says, “but IPL and Twenty20 cricket is a matter of fact now. Every board has accepted it apart from the ECB, unfortunately. Some part of international cricket may have to give because the IPL is not going away. No one in their right mind would turn down the contracts I have been offered.”The implication, in his own words, that Pietersen is playing Test cricket largely to ensure his own brand awareness remains high will also leave England’s managing director, Hugh Morris, aghast as he determines whether Pietersen can be part of a united dressing room under a new captain, Alastair Cook.”The best players in Test cricket have got the best contracts in the IPL,” he says. “You know that’s where you build the brand.”Six weeks might have passed since he made those remarks, but when a new magazine is published, the words reappear as if they are still meant today. It is not about to make his negotiations any easier.

Daniel Vettori has said that his participation in New Zealand’s tour of Sri Lanka in November is in doubt after the recurrence of his Achilles problem

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2012Daniel Vettori has said that his participation in New Zealand’s tour of Sri Lanka in November is in doubt after the recurrence of his Achilles problem during the World Twenty20. Vettori’s availability status will be confirmed on Friday after he sees a specialist.”I think it will be a little bit of a break,” Vettori said. “I don’t think I’ll make the Sri Lanka tour. It’s a bit of a chronic injury that flared up during the tournament [World T20]. I’m seeing the specialist tomorrow. I’ll have more of an idea about it then.”Vettori had to pull out at the last minute after he experienced soreness in his ankle ahead of New Zealand’s last Super Eight match against West Indies. He also had to sit out both Tests during the recent tour of India due to a groin injury.New Zealand are scheduled to play two Tests, five ODIs and a T20 in Sri Lanka from October 30, and Vettori’s absence could come as a blow to the team. However, Vettori said he expects to be back for New Zealand’s tour of South Africa that starts with a Twenty20 in Durban on December 21.Vettori, 33, still hopes to be around till the 2015 World Cup, but said he will have to take the stock of the situation once he recovers from the injury. “I think when injuries come and start to plague you, you have to reassess your goals.”

Michael Clarke’s record breaking form has seen him become the No. 1-ranked batsman in world cricket.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2012Michael Clarke’s record breaking form has seen him become the No. 1-ranked batsman in world cricket. Clarke’s double centuries in Brisbane and Adelaide against South Africa have been rewarded with a return to the top of the ICC rankings.It is the third time Clarke has officially been recognised as the best batsman in the world. Two centuries in the 2009 Ashes series saw him rise to No. 1 in August 2009 and he went back to the top of the rankings following 329 not out and 210 against India in January. Two further double centuries – the most in a calendar year by anyone – and he is leading the pack once more, having begun 2012 in a lowly 20th place.Clarke could also be holding the Test Championship mace if Australia beat South Africa in Perth to win the series. South Africa need only a draw to maintain their No. 1 status.But Clarke’s stint as No. 1 batsman could be shortlived if Kumar Sangakarra can turn around his lean form against New Zealand. Sangakarra is second in the rankings, having previously usurped Shivnarine Chanderpaul – now third after a double century and 150 against Bangladesh. Fellow West Indian Marlon Samuels has broken into the top 20 for the first time, reward for his best year in Test cricket and his career-best 260 in West Indies’ win over Bangladesh in the second Test.Kevin Pietersen is back in the top 10 after arguably his best innings, 186 against India in Mumbai. In seventh position he is one place below England captain Alastair Cook, whose centuries in the first two Tests in India have pushed him up a place.In the bowling rankings, Graeme Swann, now sixth, has also jumped back above James Anderson, 10th, to become the highest-rated England bowler following his eight-wickets at the Wankhede.

New Zealand Cricket is organising a meeting of its former captains in the New Year in order “to open better lines of communication” regarding the development of the sport

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2012New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is organising a meeting of its former captains in the New Year in order “to open better lines of communication” regarding the development of the sport in the country. The move came after several players had criticised the board for its handling of the captaincy issue, and for not accepting their help in taking New Zealand forward.”Former captains will be invited to attend the meeting which is intended to be an annual event designed to provide quality input from both the former captains and the players who were part of their era in cricket,” NZC said in a statement. “Creating a vehicle for former captains and players to directly communicate their ideas and observations to NZC is complimented by the current constitutional review process that the board has committed to in the early part of next year.”Martin Crowe, Dion Nash, Simon Doull, Craig McMillan and John Parker were some of the former New Zealand players who had criticised the board, saying it had turned down their offers.NZC chief executive David White also said it was “time to draw a line” under the Ross Taylor captaincy controversy. “We’ve already acknowledged mistakes were made on this issue and we have learned from those mistakes,” he said. “Team management has given an undertaking to improve communication and to ensure nothing similar occurs again. The board and management of NZC make that same commitment.”NZC believes it now serves no useful purpose to further rake over the events of the captaincy change. We now need to focus on the tour of South Africa. This is going to be a challenging tour against one of the leading teams in the world, so it is important that the team now focuses and prepares to ensure it is competitive in this series.”New Zealand begin their tour of South Africa with a Twenty20 international in Durban on December 21.