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Virat Kohli, India’s one-day vice-captain, has said he been working on improving his on-field attitude with his captain, MS Dhoni

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2012Virat Kohli, India’s one-day vice-captain, has said he been working on improving his on-field attitude with his captain, MS Dhoni.”I have been speaking to MS [Dhoni] a lot about it [on-field displays of aggression],” Kohli told . “He is one who doesn’t sink or go above that ‘calm line’; he is someone who is always around that line.”He keeps telling me that once I [learn to] stay around that line, I will improve as a cricketer. If that graph goes up too much or drops, you end up putting yourself under pressure.”The upcoming home season, Kohli said, could help India’s young batsmen gain the confidence they need to succeed at the Test level. “It’s a good thing that we will play at home. I can cite my example. Before Tests in Australia, I had played against West Indies [in India] and got a few runs. That boosted my confidence.”Kohli was the only India batsman who got to 300 runs – apart from being the only centurion – during India’s 4-0 drubbing in Australia, and he was their leading run-scorer in the ODI series that followed as well. Prior to that Australia tour, Kohli had scored half-centuries in both innings of the only Test he played in the home series against West Indies.In the next 12 months, India play two home Tests against New Zealand in August-September, followed by four against England and four more against Australia. In the wake of India’s recent poor showing in overseas Tests and the retirement of their established No. 3, Rahul Dravid, this period is expected to offer a couple of young batsmen a chance to establish themselves in the line-up.In this scenario, batsmen like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Manoj Tiwary are pushing for a run in the Test team. But this doesn’t put extra pressure on him, Kohli said.”I like challenges. You look to improve in areas that you wouldn’t have thought of before. I don’t pay attention to comparisons. Six or seven of us are there, who will all be playing for India for a long time. Among the lot I will leave Rohit out, as he is [the most] talented among the lot. I know we will all be colleagues in the Indian team in near future.”Still, in the lead-up to the New Zealand Tests, Kohli said, his practice sessions will intensify. “We will have some practice games. Even if we don’t have, I am sure to increase the hours I put in at the nets. I will be batting for at least three hours.”Each individual has his own way of preparing. I will again be starting from zero and would like to improve as a batsman.”

Tim Southee has been dropped from New Zealand’s squad for the second Test against South Africa in Hamilton

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton12-Mar-2012 Tim Southee has been dropped from New Zealand’s squad for the second Test against South Africa in Hamilton, starting on Thursday. After a tough first Test in Dunedin, in which he conceded 140 runs and failed to take a wicket, Southee will return to the Plunket Shield to work on technique and form.New Zealand have beefed up their bowling with the addition of Mark Gillespie and the re-inclusion of Brent Arnel, who was part of the squad for the first Test but was not included in the final 12.Gillespie has come off a run of fine form in which he has taken 20 wickets in his last three first-class matches. He is third on the list of wicket-takers, behind the yet-to-be-eligible Neil Wagner and Arnel, with 30 wickets at an average of 27.53.”Tim Southee hasn’t been included He’s a talented young fast bowler and we are confident he will return to the Plunket Shield and continue to put pressure on those in the Test team,” Kim Littlejohn, New Zealand national selection manager said. “Mark Gillespie returns to international cricket after showing good form recently and provides and a strong and reliable bowling option.”New Zealand Test Squad

Ross Taylor (capt), Brent Arnel, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Andrew Ellis, Mark Gillespie, Martin Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Tarun Nethula, Rob Nicol, Kruger Van Wyk (wk), Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson

Gillespie has played three Tests for New Zealand, one of them against South Africa in November 2007 at Centurion. Gillespie will have fond memories of that match as it was his Test debut and he took a five-for in South Africa’s only innings, dismissing Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher.There is the possibility that Arnel and Gillespie won’t feature in the final XI on a pitch that is no longer expected to be seamer-friendly. Although there was initially talk of a green wicket being prepared at Seddon Park, this has been doused by the suggestion that the strip may actually be a little dry.In anticipation of that, New Zealand have also added variety to their attack, with the inclusion of legspinner Tarun Nethula, who has yet to play Test cricket. “We are pleased to be able to offer Tarun an opportunity. He is bowling well and offers a point of difference to the attack,” Littlejohn said.Neither BJ Watling, who is recovering from a hip joint injury, nor Dean Brownlie, who has a fractured finger, were considered for the squad. South African-born wicket-keeper Kruger van Wyk keeps his place along with Rob Nicol, who had a tough debut opening the batting.

Daren Ganga says Trinidad & Tobago’s performances in domestic Twenty20 cricket in the West Indies have inspired many youngsters, but it is still to be seen whether that translates into progress

Abhishek Purohit in Hyderabad17-Sep-2011Three captains turned up to face the media today in Hyderabad ahead of the Champions League Twenty20 qualifiers. Mahela Udawatte, of Ruhuna, looked a little lost and out of place. Matthew Hoggard, of Leicestershire, wore the broadest of smiles which lit up an otherwise humdrum interaction. Daren Ganga, of Trinidad & Tobago, was forthcoming, forceful and meant business.Over the years, Ganga has acquired a reputation of being an insightful and capable leader of men. His replies showed that the image has been well-earned. Coming from the tempestuous Caribbean where cricket has made headlines lately mainly for off-field reasons like player contracts or spats between the board and players, Ganga would have expected what was thrown at him by the sparse gathering of reporters.Twenty20 has made mercenaries of players all over the world, but the greatest impact has been felt in the Caribbean, already battling a steady decline in standards. “T20 have an impact. Such is the nature of the game,” Ganga said. “We have always played our cricket stylishly and aggressively in the Caribbean. So it is no wonder that T20 is attractive there.”Aggressive was the way T&T played in the inaugural Champions League in 2009, getting stopped only by New South Wales’ Brett Lee in the final. Ganga wasn’t surprised then, and he isn’t now that T&T are back in the league as Caribbean champions. “We have dominated T20 in the Caribbean since its onset,” he said in a voice that would have seemed boastful if it wasn’t true. “We love to play exciting cricket.”T&T’s performance in 2009 brought a lot of cheer to the country and to the Caribbean. But Ganga was quick to distinguish mere celebration from concrete results. “There was a lot of excitement in the West Indies due to our success last time. It inspired a lot of youngsters which was good to see. But whether we see a result of that [in terms of performance], time will tell.”The realistic tone of Ganga’s narrative was broken when he was asked how he felt being an acclaimed leader of a side that has given the people of the region periodic respite from the depressing performances of the West Indies team. “I have been fortunate to have a bunch of players with me who have had the discipline and the drive to do well. It’s the most heartening thing as a captain to see players come in at a very young age and then develop and go on to play international cricket.”I was selected when I was 16 and Brian Lara took me under his wings and taught me about cricket and leadership. I have a lot of respect for him for what he has taught me. It is a continuation of seniors teaching juniors. Hopefully when I move on, the current players can do the same for the next generation.”He then took the distinction between T&T and West Indies a step further. “I am proud to have been part of a successful group of individuals. We as West Indies have not been known much recently for our results. Who knows in the future cricket could be an Olympic sport and we could even play as a nation.”T&T are without the services of two star players, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, both of whom have chosen to play for their respective IPL sides – Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians – in the Champions League. If T&T qualify for the main tournament, Ganga could be up against his countrymen.His response might well be to point out that his side won the regional T20 tournament this year without the two playing a single game.

Nathan Coulter-Nile pressed his case for an Australia call-up with a compelling allround display, but New South Wales were still able to achieve a four-wicket victory over the Warriors

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2012
ScorecardNathan Coulter-Nile, the Western Australia fast bowler, pressed his case for an Australia call-up with a compelling allround display, but New South Wales were still able to achieve a four-wicket victory over the Warriors in the domestic limited overs match in Perth.After WA’s batting slipped to 7 for 96, Coulter-Nile shepherded the tail to a total of 151 with a poised innings of 53. He then claimed the wickets of Simon Katich, Steve Smith and Nic Maddinson with the ball to ensure the Blues made hard work of their modest chase, achieved with 7.2 overs to spare.The NSW chase was guided by Phillip Hughes, batting at No. 3 behind Usman Khawaja and Brad Haddin. Hughes made an unbeaten 58, after Haddin had found some semblance of batting form in an innings of 32.Mitchell Starc, dropped from Australia’s ODI squad in order to be available for the match, collected 4-39 to slice through The Warriors’ batting. His first wicket was that of WA’s stand-in captain Shaun Marsh, who cut a short ball straight to backward point.

Kirsten has warned that it is not yet time to panic and that the team he coached to the top of the world are still a formidable side

Firdose Moonda19-Aug-2011Gary Kirsten, the former India coach, has admitted to being “a bit sad,” after MS Dhoni’s side lost their No. 1 Test ranking, following three consecutive Test defeats to England. However, Kirsten has warned that it is not yet time to panic and that the team he coached to the top of the world are still a formidable side.”I am bit surprised with the results, but not in a negative way,” Kirsten, who now coaches South Africa, told ESPNcricinfo in Johannesburg, where he was attending a sponsorship announcement. “It’s always difficult to understand why teams ebb and flow and often it’s the intangibles that make the difference.”While India’s poor performances have been put down to everything from the lack of planning to lack of fight, Kirsten sees the reason for their losses as something less easily identifiable. He dished up a range of possible reasons, with the central theme being that of the culture of the side and how that may have to change with the change of coach. “When a new coach comes in its important that he follows on with the culture of the team,” Kirsten said.Kirsten established himself as a flexible, contemporary coach, who was capable of being involved with the players as well as letting them take care of themselves. More importantly, he was as hard-working as they needed to be, literally, showing them what it would take to be successful. Hailed for the umpteen throwdowns he provided, the players saw him as one of them. It’s too early to tell whether they see new coach Duncan Fletcher in the same way, but even if they do, Kirsten admitted that the taking over the mantle, from any coach, is tough. “It’s not easy to continue a run of success,” he said.One of the difficulties that may come with transition is understanding the make-up of the Indian team, particularly where it is deficient. “They are a great cricket team, with a great captain and one of the best batting line-ups in the world which is why they were No. 1,” Kirsten explained, before saying something that indicated that he had not completely let go of the Indian team just yet. “But always knew that we were bit short on the bowling side and that was something that we learnt to manage.”India’s bowlers have bowed out of the series in sequence, making it tricky to stay consistent and threatening in that department. First senior fast bowler Zaheer Khan was injured, then the spin department was forced to turn another way when Harbhajan Singh had to leave and, before the start of the fourth and final Test, Praveen Kumar suffered an ankle injury.And, while the bowling has lurched from one state of crisis to the next, the batting has failed to live up to expectations. With experiences hands like VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar unable to score a century between them, there is concern that the best days of Indian batting are behind them, and fresh faces should be sought, but Kirsten doesn’t agree.”People said that with such an experienced team we should try to integrate youth but I felt that for as long as those experienced guys were there and they were enjoying it and playing good cricket, they should carry on,” he said. “Even if it means that there is only one spot to bring in a youngster, that’s fine. We were able to, at number six, so we covered both angles.” Suresh Raina has been the man who has been allowed to fill and mature in that role and has also been earmarked as one for the future, by being the stand-in ODI captain.It’s in the shorter format of the game that Kirsten thinks India can redeem themselves on this tour, especially after their World Cup triumph. “I hope they have a good one-day series, because if they leave do, they can look back and say, ‘ok, we had a disappointing Test series, but as World Cup winners we’ve shown our worth in the one-day game.'”It will be a way for India to validate and sustain their status as one of the top teams in the world, something that new ODI captain AB de Villiers thinks is much more complicated than it looks. “It’s difficult to reach the top and stay there,” he said. “They won the World Cup, which was massive for them, but then they’ve had a tour of West Indies and a few injuries and maybe the hunger to win games goes down a little.”

Reflecting on his team’s disappointing showing in the one-off Twenty20, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has said that they were missing Tamim Iqbal at the top of the order

Mohammad Isam29-Nov-2011Reflecting on his team’s disappointing showing in the one-off Twenty20, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has said that they were missing Tamim Iqbal at the top of the order. Tamim had to pull out due to a knee injury and that led to Naeem Islam’s promotion as the makeshift opener. The reshuffle impacted the team’s performance in their chase of 136.”Obviously we missed Tamim. When you see one of your best players are not playing before the match, you have to reshuffle your batting order,” Mushfiqur said. “The player who usually bats at No.5 has to open so that becomes difficult. So that was a negative for us that Tamim did not play.”A victory margin of 50 runs in a Twenty20 game indicates that the bowling unit had a stranglehold over the batsmen in the second innings. In front of a large crowd and a wide-eyed media, after a bowling performance that aroused hope, not many escape, especially in Bangladesh.The meek surrender – 85 for 9 in 20 overs – wasn’t Bangladesh’s lowest total in Twenty20s. It was disappointing to see a batting line-up time and again play in two-gears: if they don’t find boundaries, they go into a shell. Today, they suffered the ignominy of treating a capacity crowd to just four boundary hits, and one that came off the hip.”I think the batsmen should have taken more responsibility but they (Pakistan) bowled really well. We lost four wickets early which I wouldn’t say were necessarily to poor shots. So after that we couldn’t really go after the bowling,” Mushfiqur said.”Had we done so, we might have lost more wickets and been all out for 50-odd. They are one of the best sides in the world currently and they utilized the conditions here better than we did.”Alok Kapali bowled an economical spell but Pakistan’s total proved too much for the hosts•AFPThe start provided by Naeem and Imrul Kayes gave very little confidence to those who watched the game. Soon after Naeem exited for 3, Alok Kapali joined him in the dugout. What also hurt Bangladesh were the two run-outs. Imrul Kayes probably forgot to drag his bat into the crease as Mohammad Hafeez’s throw came in from the inner ring. later, Mushfiqur was stranded mid-pitch after Nasir Hossain refused his single to short third-man.Despite the poor outing, Mushfiqur was positive that a turnaround was possible, if the batsmen are ready to be patient.”They had three of their batsmen scoring around 20. So it goes to show that if you go out there and stay at the crease and apply yourself then things could have been different for us,” Mushfiqur said.”We can definitely compete with them in the series. Even after batting so poorly we managed 80 (sic. 85) so if we had a top-order partnership then probably we would have needed 50 or 60 runs in the last seven or eight overs which wouldn’t have been impossible.”It is back to basics for Bangladesh, for they will find boundaries hard to come by over the next three weeks in all formats.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Sharjah

The Preview by Nitin Sundar02-Nov-2011Match FactsPakistan v Sri Lanka, November 3-7, Sharjah
Start time 1000 (0600 GMT)Umar Gul and Junaid Khan have made sure there has been no dip in the skill levels of Pakistan’s new-ball operators, despite the loss of the Mohammads Asif and Amir•AFPBig PictureTwo days after the Southwark Crown Court’s landmark verdict in the spot-fixing investigation, Pakistan’s players will have to forget about their former team-mates and focus on five days of hard Test cricket. They play at a venue favoured by their predecessors but much has changed since those heady days of the 1980s. In 2001 the Indian government banned the national side from playing there but Pakistan’s exile as a cricketing venue has given the Emirates a fresh lease of life in recent years, and Sharjah is set to host its first Test in nine years, and fifth overall.The Pakistan side that takes guard on Thursday will also be unrecognisable from the flashy crowd-pullers that used to grace this venue back in the day. More tellingly, they have little in common with the outfit that sizzled with the ball and floundered with the bat in England last summer. The last time Pakistan lined up for Test cricket in Sharjah, they were handed two ruthless hammerings by Australia, including the ignominy of being bowled out for 59 and 53 in the same match. Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Taufeeq Umar were a part of that series in 2002, and each of them would disappear into Pakistan’s fringes before re-emerging, stronger than ever. The trio lends the Pakistan line-up a look of steel that was last seen when Inzamam-ul-Haq was still playing. The bowling line-up has lost the Mohammads Asif and Amir but Junaid Khan has already replicated their ability to hoop the ball each way – that too under an unrelenting sun and on unresponsive tracks.While Pakistan have blended their innate flair with discipline to take a 1-0 lead, their opponents continue to regress inexplicably. Muttiah Muralitharan’s absence has left the bowling hamstrung, but that is only one half of the story. The lack of bowling nous has put Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene under such intense pressure that it has affected their productivity with the bat. The captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan, is going through a horror run of form as well – he has scored 177 runs in his last nine outings, 83 of those coming in one innings against Australia. A turnaround in his personal fortunes will help his team get back on track.There’s plenty riding on this match for Pakistan. A 2-0 series scoreline will take them ahead of Sri Lanka to fifth in the ICC Test table, and within touching distance of Australia. That’s not too bad for a side that plays all its games away from home, in the absence of a bunch of potential first-choice players who are either ignored, banned, or facing jail terms.Form guide (completed games, most recent first)Sri Lanka: LDDDL
Pakistan: WDWWL
In the spotlightSri Lanka’s batsmen are accomplished players of spin, and most of them have had the fortune of honing their skills against Muttiah Muralitharan in the nets. Saeed Ajmal posed a different style and trajectory to Murali, and worked his way to 11 wickets in the first two Tests. Sri Lanka would have done their homework in the interim, and will have plans for him in Sharjah. Can Ajmal still manage to slip his doosras through their defences?Mahela Jayawardene seldom lets a full series go without a hundred. So far in the series, Ajmal has out-thought him twice, while the seamers have got him nicking into the cordon twice. Jayawardene is too good to repeat such errors, and Pakistan should be on high alert when he walks out to bat in the decider.Team newsPlaying two spinners in a four-man attack worked well for Pakistan in Dubai, and the indications are that they will stick to the same combination.Pakistan (likely): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Umar Gul, 9 Abdur Rehman, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid KhanSri Lanka are mulling the possibility of benching Lahiru Thirimanne and promoting Dilshan back to the opener’s slot. Seamer Kosala Kulasekara’s name is also doing the rounds, as Sri Lanka seek to make their attack more incisive.Sri Lanka (likely): 1 Tharanga Paranavitana, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kaushal Silva (wk), 7 and 8 Two of Dhammika Prasad / Suraj Randiv / Kosala Kulasekara, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Chanaka Welegedera, 11 Suranga LakmalPitch and conditionsMaximum temperatures of about 31 degrees will provide the teams with welcome respite, though the humidity will continue to sap them. The Intercontinental Cup fixture hosted here between Afghanistan and UAE unfolded in classic Test-match style, with batting getting progressively difficult, as the visitors held on grimly for a draw on the final day. The one-dayers that followed were also low-scoring affairs, with spinners dominating the proceedings.Dilshan noted the presence of a grassy cover on the strip, but it remains to be seen if the grass makes it to the match morning. Misbah expected it to be a “normal Sharjah pitch” that will assist the batsmen.Stats & Trivia Mahela Jayawardene is 105 runs away from becoming the ninth batsman and the first ever Sri Lankan to score 10,000 runs Kumar Sangakkara is eleventh in the all-time list, and 28 runs away from reaching the 9000-run mark Misbah-ul-Haq has led Pakistan in five Test series including the current one, none of which they have lostQuotes”We know which areas we have to improve on, and if we play our brand of cricket then it gives us a good chance to level the series. I am not feeling any pressure but I am worried about my batting. I have worked hard and have confidence that I can come out and score big.”

“Sri Lanka are a very good side and they are fighters so we are ready for it but our focus is to do the basics well and play like we have done in the last year and a half.”

A round-up of the matches from the fifth match-day of the Faysal Bank One Day National Cup Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2011Group BNational Bank of Pakistan cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and secured a spot in the semi-finals. ZTBL were in early trouble at 74 for 4 after choosing to bat first, but Babar Azam and Haris Sohail each made brisk half-centuries to propel their side past 200. Azam was caught behind off Mohammad Talha for 61, while Sohail was snapped up by Fawad Alam for 75. Talha was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 for 29. NBP’s succesful chase was built around a pair of almost identical 67s from Nasir Jamshed and Naumanullah. Jamshed, who opened the batting, needed 79 balls to reach his score and struck eight fours, while Naumanullah, who remained not out, took 78 balls and struck seven fours, as NBP reached their target of 223 in the 37th over.Water and Power Development Authority also reached the semi-finals after posting a comfortable five-wicket win over Sialkot Stallions at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot, going past their target of 165 with 13 overs and five balls to spare. WAPDA opted to field first, and the bowlers made steady inroads into the Sialkot batting line-up, reducing the hosts to 91 for 5 before Mohammad Ayub, who top scored with 47, and Bilal Azmat, who made 29, put together the only substantial partnership of the innings – 51 for the sixth wicket. Medium pacer Bilal Khilji and and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar took three wickets each. WAPDA had an early flutter, losing their openers with only 36 on the board, but Rizwan Malik’s composed, unbeaten 61 took his side home with plenty of time to spare.Multan won their third match of the tournament, thrashing Faisalabad at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, but it wasn’t enough to take them to the semi-finals. Multan took just 28.3 overs to chase Faisalabad’s score, after bowling them out for 198. Faisalabad got off to a solid start, with opener Mohammad Salman and Hasan Mahmood getting half-centuries. But they collapsed from 144 for 3 to 198 all out after a four-wicket haul by legspinner Imranullah Aslam. Multan’s openers knocked off most of the runs themselves, with Zain Abbas scoring 83 off 68 and Imranullah Aslam getting 76. They fell in quick succession, but Multan won by three wickets.Group AThere was no result in the match between Pakistan International Airlines and Habib Bank Limited after rain at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, but both teams had already qualified for the semi-finals. HBL managed to bowl PIA out for 159 after putting them in, but their chase was called off due to the weather after just four overs. Seamer Fahad Masood gave HBL a couple of early breakthroughs, and then legspinner Danish Kaneria and left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam ran through PIA’s middle order. Aslam finished with figures of 3 for 24 in four overs, as PIA’s innings lasted just 32.3 overs.Islamabad completed a 93-run victory on the Duckworth/Lewis system over Rawalpindi in a rain-affected match at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Islamabad reached 301 in their 50 overs after half-centuries from Zeeshan Mushtaq, Faizan Riaz and Kashif Majeed. Majeed’s 54 came off 36 balls and gave Islamabad the impetus they needed at the end of their innings. Zahid Mansoor picked up five wickets for Rawalpindi, but was expensive, giving away 49 runs in his seven overs. Rawalpindi got off to a poor start, collapsing to 15 for 3. Seamer Nasrullah Khan did the early damage, taking 3 for 22, and Rawalpindi never recovered. After 41.1 overs, Rawalpindi were 159 for 7; the game was called off for bad light and they were well behind the required D/L score.

S Badrinath remains the biggest obstacle facing Rajasthan in their attempt to reach the Ranji Trophy final for the first time since 1973-74, Aakash Chopra, their opener, has said

Siddhartha Talya05-Jan-2011S Badrinath remains the biggest obstacle facing Rajasthan in their attempt to reach the Ranji Trophy final for the first time since the 1973-74 season, Aakash Chopra, their opener, has said. Badrinath was unbeaten on 78 at the end of the third day in the semi-final in Jaipur and is key to Tamil Nadu’s fortunes as they aim – they are currently 190 for 3 – to score a further 272 within the full quota of 90 overs to advance to the next stage based on net run-rate.”We need to remove Badrinath as early as possible,” Chopra told ESPNcricinfo. “If that doesn’t happen, we need to go all-out at the other end because we need to bowl them out.”Rajasthan, thanks to three centuries, including one from Chopra on the opening day, managed to pile on 552 for 7 before declaring.But on a track that has eased out since an overcast first day, and with Tamil Nadu batting out 69 overs on the third, Chopra believed there was little to choose between the teams. “The match is evenly poised. I won’t give any team an edge at this point of time because the fourth-day pitch will still do something, though they require 270-odd in 90 overs.”Chasing such a score in a semi-final on the last day won’t be too easy. There will be wickets falling at some stage, and once you have a couple of wickets, things might change drastically.”Badrinath, during his innings, did survive some anxious moments and Chopra praised his bowlers for creating them. “Our bowlers really bowled well today, they bowled their hearts out. They were unfortunate to not have got a couple of more wickets, there were a couple of close calls.”The seamers, led by Pankaj Singh and Deepak Chahar, have been Rajasthan’s main strength through their campaign this season, and Chopra felt there was still enough in the conditions to assist them on the final day. “The track has eased out a bit but every now and then the ball keeps alarmingly low, and that’s what may cause problems. The uneven bounce will play on the batsmen’s minds. The second-new ball is due in another 11 overs so that might play a huge role in the outcome of this game.”Rajasthan are playing Vivek Yadav, a legspinner, as their frontline slow bowler, but Chopra believed, even on a final-day track, his role would be a supporting one. “For spinners, there’s nothing much happening except the variable bounce. There isn’t much turn on offer but that’s what happens on black soil.”Yadav bowls quicker through the air, with a flatter trajectory and relies on the batsman making a judgement error. That’s what his role is going to be – to give the seamers some breather because they are the ones going to do most of the damage, and to make the variable bounce work in his favour.”With a depleted Baroda upsetting Karnataka in the other semi-final, Rajasthan’s progression, if it happens, would set up a final clash between two underdogs. The incentive of a continuing their dream campaign was too huge for Rajasthan to let it slip on the final day, Chopra said. “What is going to work in our favour is the intensity. The hunger that we all have to get to the next round, if we manage to replicate the intensity that we showed today on the final day as well, I think Tamil Nadu will buckle down.”

The finances of CSA will soon be laid bare as the body agreed to an external, forensic audit

Firdose Moonda04-May-2011The finances of CSA will soon be laid bare as the body agreed to an external, forensic audit. The decision was taken in conjunction with a resolution not to appeal a High Court judgment which ordered CSA to reinstate Mtutuzeli Nyoka as its president on Wednesday night in Johannesburg.An extraordinary meeting of the board was called to discuss the road forward after a high-profile spat between chief executive Gerald Majola and Nyoka. The kernel of their conflict was financial and revolved around R4.7 million (US$671, 428) in bonuses that was paid out to 40 CSA staff after the hosting of the IPL and Champions Trophy in 2009. It later emerged that Nyoka also wanted details of how CSA spent money from an account to the value of R84.6 million (US$12,085,714). CSA maintain that the money was used to run the IPL.In deciding not to oppose Nyoka’s return to office, CSA have agreed to a full audit, even though it has held its own inquiry into the payments. That investigation, chaired by vice-president AK Khan, cleared Majola of any wrongdoing and cautioned him of making any future “errors of judgment,” because the bonuses were not cleared by CSA’s remunerations committee. Insiders said this was in keeping with a precedent set during the hosting of previous major tournaments such as the World Cup in 2003 and the World Twenty20 in 2007.It has not yet been decided who will conduct the external inquiry and Nyoka said a lawyer from CSA’s Legal and Governance Committee will make the decision and announce it “very soon.” Indications are that the South African Sports and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), who were observers at the meeting, will conduct the investigation. South Africa’s sports ministry said that SASCOC would be enlisted if CSA were unable to come up with a satisfactory resolution on Wednesday.”The meeting today was extremely good,” Nyoka said at a media briefing afterwards. “I don’t think one can be dishonest and say that there weren’t problems, there were problems. We should not underestimate the damage that has been done in cricket. But we made an important decision.”Nyoka appeared a more satisfied man than he has in the past, having finally won his battle after six months of turbulence. Nyoka was removed from office in February when the board passed a vote of no confidence against him. He chose to challenge the decision in court and on April 15, judge Phineas Mojapelo ruled that Nyoka was removed from office unlawfully and ordered that Nyoka be reinstated with immediate effect.Nyoka said that the tussle between him and Majola had ended and that “what we are committing to do is to undertake a process of reconciliation and healing.” After the meeting, Nyoka and Majola held a private discussion, in full view of the press, for 10 minutes. They were both animated in their talk but it culminated in them addressing the media together.”Gerald and I were children together,” Nyoka said, before turning to Majola and embracing him while the cameras rolled. “This is a handshake of friendship and deep affection and respect.”Majola, who emerged a relieved man, said he was satisfied with the proceedings and pledged his allegiance to Nyoka. “As my president, I will serve him.” The pair said their decision was taken with the best interests of cricket in mind.