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Led by Parvinder Awana, Delhi bundled out Karnataka for 192 and ended the day in front despite losing two wickets as the shadows lengthened in Bangalore

Kanishkaa Balachandran at the Chinnaswamy Stadium08-Dec-2012
ScorecardFile photo: Parvinder Awana picked up his eighth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

On a pitch that resembled a lawn, with the only patches of white near the rough on either side, Karnataka captain Vinay Kumar chose to give his batsmen first use of the pitch, despite their batting struggles all season. While it might be perceived as a brave decision, it backfired on the hosts. Karnataka were still searching for their first outright win, and they were presented with what looked like a result-oriented wicket. Delhi weren’t complaining though. Their seamers, led by Parvinder Awana, bundled out the hosts for 192 and ended the day in front despite losing two wickets as the shadows lengthened in Bangalore.There were only seven overs of spin among the 65 bowled by Delhi, rare by Indian standards and current trends in the subcontinent where it’s common to see a spinner bowling with the new ball. Ashish Nehra’s return gave Delhi the extra firepower on paper, but the momentum was with Awana, who took his second consecutive five-wicket haul.It didn’t take long for Delhi to strike, though Nehra could count himself lucky. Robin Uthappa went a long way across and the ball struck his pads, and after a bit of thought, the umpire ruled in favour of the bowler. Nehra didn’t get the ball to move as much as the other seamers, and preferred bowling shorter.A number of Delhi’s bowling manoeuvers brought immediate results, starting with Sumit Narwal replacing Awana from the Pavilion End. Like Nehra, Narwal struck in the first over of his spell when he pitched one up to Ganesh Satish who drove and edged it to the wicketkeeper Puneet Bisht, who took the first of his five catches. Awana too changed ends and the move worked when he beat KL Rahul for movement and sent his off stump for a spin.It was an opportunity for Manish Pandey to take on a leadership role with the debutant Kunal Kapoor, but he too didn’t last long, edging Narwal to Bisht who took a low catch falling forward. Another bowling change brought another wicket, when Rajat Bhatia replaced Narwal from the Pavilion End and had Kapoor edging to Bisht, who came up to the stumps. At lunch, Karnataka had lost five and thoughts went back to their decision at the toss.The only batsman who looked like taking on the Delhi bowlers was Stuart Binny. Post lunch, he batted positively, pulling a short ball to fine leg and driving crisply down the ground. A stable batsman at the other end would have helped Binny build, but the pressure increased when the last-recognised batsman in the line-up, CM Gautam, fell to a loose shot. He was let off by Mithun Manhas at first slip, but it didn’t cost Delhi anything when Gautam slashed and edged Awana to Bisht.Binny motored along to his fifty by whipping Nehra towards deep midwicket for two boundaries. He went on to make 61 before edging Awana to Bisht, who took his fifth catch. By setting attacking fields, Delhi never let the game drift. Karnataka would have expected the pitch to ease for batting after lunch, but the seamers kept the ball up, got it to swing and induced mistakes.Awana picked up his fourth when he trapped Abhimanyu Mithun in front of the stumps with a full ball and later rounded off the innings when he sent KP Appanna’s middle stump back by a few yards. Speaking after the day’s play, Awana said he had been working on an away swinging delivery, in particular the one that beat Rahul’s defense. Awana, who had taken a five-for in the previous match against Haryana in seamer-friendly Lahli, said the pitch in Bangalore had more bounce.Shikhar Dhawan led Delhi’s reply with some crisp cover drives off the front foot and put away HS Sharath for boundaries over the off side as soon as the bowler was introduced first change. Sharath, though, quickly shook off that wayward beginning when he trapped a watchful Unmukt Chand lbw, before having Mohit Sharma caught down the leg side. It was smart field placement that led to that wicket. A short fine leg was in place, the ball was directed at the batsman’s body from round the wicket and Mohit could only fend it straight to the fielder.

Dean Brownlie, a New Zealand batsman trying to make a name for himself, must have reached a maiden Test century like this one in his dreams

The Report by David Hopps04-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
New Zealand have not only shown determination, in Dean Brownlie’s case they have shown improvement•Getty Images

New Zealand have a maiden Test hundred from Dean Brownlie to provide some consolation at
the end of a Test which they will want to forget, but although they could slow the South African
juggernaut they were not about to escape its inevitable destination. Victory fell to South Africa by
an innings and 27 runs with tea approaching on the third day at Newlands and, if New Zealand’s humiliation was no longer quite as stark, they were comprehensively outplayed.Brownlie’s mix of ability and spirit was a suitable reminder that New Zealand need players
possessing not just one of those qualities in abundance, but both as they seek to remedy one of the most challenging periods in their recent history. They are unlikely to compete in the second Test in Port Elizabeth – it is Nos. 1 v 8 in the Test rankings and a weakened squad is not about to disguise that – but they will be desperate to regroup in time for a home Test series against England in March.Vernon Philander needed only 26 deliveries to take five New Zealand wickets first time around as South Africa inflicted the lowest score on a Test side for 39 years, an explosive start to the Test that deservedly won him the man-of-the-match award. In contrast, it took him 22 overs to take a wicket in the second innings, which said something about New Zealand’s response to adversity, and his exertions were not without their concerns as he left the field near the end for treatment on the hamstring strain that almost ruled him out of the Test.After pulverising their opponents on the opening day, the only question for South Africa was exactly when an overwhelming victory would be completed. In removing BJ Watling, the last recognised batsman, Philander immediately pronounced that the end was near. New Zealand’s last six wickets brought another 106 on the third day, but the last five wickets fell in ten overs and it was all rounded off by a comical run out of Chris Martin, whose inability at No, 11 has been well chronicled, but who could bat blindfolded with a banana and it would not begin to justify such a farcical conclusion.South Africa can take much pride in such a triumphant restatement of their power in their first home Test for a year. It was far better for New Zealand to reflect merely upon Brownlie. Here was a batsman trying to make a name for himself, reaching a maiden Test century in a manner that was the stuff of dreams. He skipped down the pitch without a care in the world to the left-arm spin of Robin Peterson and deposited him over long-on for six. The catch was held in the crowd by a small boy who watched himself on the big screen and will probably cherish the moment just as long.

Smart stats

• Since losing their first Test against New Zealand after readmission, South Africa have won 13 and lost just one of the next 21 Tests. Their last loss came in Auckland in 2004.

• Since the beginning of 1995, South Africa have a win-loss ratio of 12 against New Zealand. Excluding Tests featuring Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, only Australia’s record against New Zealand (14-1) is more lopsided during this period.

• South Africa continued their excellent record in Cape Town since their readmission. Since 1991, they have won 17 and lost just three of the 25 matches played at the venue. Their win-loss ratio of 5.66 is the second-best for a team at a particular venue in the same period (min 15 Tests).

• DeanBrownlie became the eighth New Zealand batsman to score a century against South Africa in Tests since 1990. He is also the third to do so in Tests in Cape Town.

• Since the beginning of 2012, New Zealand’s No. 4 batsmen have averaged 61.70 in Tests, with five hundreds in 21 innings. Their No. 4 batsmen have scored 22% of all runs scored by the batsmen. Their other top-order batsmen (Nos. 1-7) have averaged 24.90.

• Chris Martin scored his 36th duck in Tests. Only Courtney Walsh, with 43 ducks has more.

That was the dream sequence; with the second new ball came the wake-up call. Brownlie and
Watling had whittled down South Africa’s commanding first-innings lead of 302 on an obdurate morning and Graeme Smith summoned the new ball with an air of impatience with the lunch interval only minutes away. His decision came up trumps as Morne Morkel banged the fourth
delivery in short of a length, Brownlie went for the cut as he had so often, but the extra bounce
deceived him and he holed out to Peterson, stationed for that very eventuality at deep-backward
point.It felt like a naïve dismissal, brought about by good captaincy, but Brownlie deserved only good
memories. The confident manner in which he achieved that maiden Test century brought a
celebratory dash to a mettlesome innings which had sent New Zealand’s mood soaring.Brownlie preferred to combat Peterson’s left-arm spin on the back foot and even on a pitch offering little turn it got him into a tangle on occasions, but Steyn and Morkel’s natural length was too short to take advantage of the uneven bounce available on a fullish length and Philander was also seen off with relative comfort. The pitch had lost the zip that exposed New Zealand on the first morning and Brownlie, comfortable on the back foot, rarely erred.His first Test hundred, in his eighth Test was a characterful one – a dashing start as he peppered the boundary square on the off side, dropped twice on 23, a more cautious outlook against the old ball as he resumed on 69, with lots of swaying and leaving on the back foot, and finally a leap through the 90s with two sixes in consecutive overs against Peterson – the first of them a long hop that he hauled over midwicket.Philander’s chance with the new ball came after lunch so he could have a session on the physio’s bench before bowling. He had only two overs before he was switched to the Kelvin Grove End for the first time and in the match and his threat grew as a result. In successive overs, he had James Franklin dropped at gully, a low chance for Alviro Petersen, Watling’s resistance for three-and-a-half hours in making 42 ended at first slip, and Doug Bracewell went for nought, squared up for another slip catch, this time at third.New Zealand were still 50 runs away from making South Africa bat a second time and it became apparent that they were hopelessly equipped for the task. Jeetan Patel, at No. 9, lacked the technique or courage to deal with Steyn (neither attribute comes easily, as many can testify) and he had been struck on the body and backed away to square leg several times before he chopped Steyn onto his stumps as he retreated some more.Steyn was not about to abandon a short-ball policy at this juncture. Franklin, like Watling, had
become New Zealand’s second batting verruca – painful, unsightly and taking some shifting – but he went across his stumps to try to turn him behind square and dragged the ball onto his stumps. Finally, farcically, came the run out of Martin, run out for nought without facing a ball, sent back after attempting an impossible second to Steyn at fine leg to stay off strike.

Khulna Royal Bengals, led by Shahriar Nafees’ 71, claimed their first victory in five games as they beat Duronto Rajshahi by seven wickets in Mirpur

The Report by Mohammad Isam08-Feb-2013
ScorecardShahriar Nafees played a responsible knock for Khulna Royal Bengals yet again•Bangladesh Cricket Board

Khulna Royal Bengals claimed their first victory in five games, beating Duronto Rajshahi by eight wickets. Chasing 139 to win, the Royal Bengals, led by Shahriah Nafees’ 71, sauntered to victory in 19.2 overs.Nafees, like in the previous two wins by his team, was the key contributor in the victory. He struck eleven boundaries in his 52-ball knock, finishing the match with a six off Ben Edmondson with five runs required for victory. He guided the chase with two partnerships; he added 63 for the second wicket with Travis Birt, who made 23 off 26 balls with two fours and a six, and followed this up with a 54-run stand in 6.4 overs with Jehan Mubarak, who remained unbeaten till the end for a 27-ball 30.Earlier, Rajshahi had recovered to post a fighting total after they had slipped to 64 for 6 in the 11th over. Mukhtar Ali and Sean Ervine added 42 for the seventh wicket, and Mukhtar remained unbeaten on 41 to lead them to 138. Mukhtar hammered four boundaries and two sixes during his 30-ball innings.For the Royal Bengals, Krishmar Santokie took three wickets while left-arm spinner Sanjamul Islam and legspinner Noor Hossain picked up two each.Both teams played with different captains today; Lou Vincent led the Royal Bengals despite Nafees being in the playing eleven, and Tamim captained Rajshahi in place of Chamara Kapugedera.

Harbhajan Singh is all set to become the 10th Indian to play 100 Tests after he was confirmed in the XI for the Chennai Test

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2013Harbhajan Singh has said he is a bit nervous but he will be all right before he steps out to play against Australia on Friday, which will make him the 10th Indian to have played 100 Tests. India don’t usually divulge team news before the toss, but made an exception this time. It would not have needed such confirmation in the usual course, but Harbhajan has mostly been out of the side and has played only one Test in more than 18 months, and is making a comeback into the squad.The landmark Test will come against Harbhajan’s favourite opposition, Australia, and at a venue where 12 years ago he applied the finishing touches to one of the greatest turnarounds in Test history, finishing off as joint Man of the Series against Australia. Harbhajan has taken 408 wickets from 99 Tests at an average of 32.27 and a strike-rate of 68.1.”It’s a big game,” Harbhajan said. “[The previous] 99 are gone. Obviously a bit nervous but I am sure I will be fine. I have faced these situations before.”I have gone through times when I was not doing well or when I was doing well and got too excited. These things happen. Bit nervous to start with, but I will be fine. Once I get away with 100, we will see what needs to be done to play another 50-odd. Probably I will have to work even harder.”Harbhajan said he was aware of the gap between the last few Tests, but he said he wanted to look ahead and make sure there was no such gap between the upcoming appearances. He remembered when he made his debut as a 17-year-old, in Bangalore against Australia, as just a wide-eyed kid.”Had no clue about what was going to happen,” Harbhajan said. “To be honest I was a little kid on the park. I was starstruck at looking at players. ‘Wow I am playing alongside [Sachin] Tendulkar, [Javagal] Srinath, Anil Kumble. These are all my heroes. I am playing today with them.’ Of course I have come a long way. At that moment I never thought I would play for India this long a time.”Harbhajan thanked his seniors profusely. “God has been very kind,” he said. “Big thanks to all my team-mates and great seniors like Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Laxman. They have been fantastic. I don’t think I would have achieved this without their support, and would like to thank each and every one who supported me and stood by me. Just want to go out and enjoy this big match.”Harbhajan might have forgotten to mention the name of Sourav Ganguly on that list, but he came back to it and thanked him too. “I am just repeating names, but I couldn’t have achieved this without their support.”Harbhajan said the seniors helped him learn to never give up. “Of course it’s been a journey with a lot of ups and downs. No one can always be on the top. No one can always be down. You will have ups and downs. Not just as a cricket, but as a normal guy too.”What I have learned from my seniors is to never give up. I have seen all these guys have done so well for India. And made themselves great cricketers, great ambassadors for the game. One thing in common was they never give up. That’s what made this team successful. They showed us how to work hard. They made us believe we can win anywhere and from any situation. I am very proud I have played with these cricketers.”Harbhajan said growing as a person mattered as much as doing well as a cricket. “I have definitely grown up,” he said. “I have made a few mistakes early in my career due to my extra aggression. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t. Of course with time I have learned a lot and am looking forward to doing even better as a person. You might play this game for 15 years or so, but what sort of person you are matters the most. Everybody wants to be a better person than he was yesterday.”The last few years haven’t been easy for Harbhajan. He has had to face a lot of criticism for his ineffectiveness of late, especially after Anil Kumble’s retirement. He was asked how he deals with being possibly the most criticised man among those who have taken 400 Test wickets. The reply was belligerent.”How do I handle? I just keep quiet,” Harbhajan said. “Everybody has got their opinion. Unfortunately or fortunately, people have not played up to that level. Those kind of guys, if they say I am not good enough to play for India or if I have not done enough, it doesn’t matter. Who cares? What matters is what my team thinks of me, what my team-mates think of me. End of the day those guys are going to be there for you. As I have said everybody has got their opinion. Even I have got my opinion for others, it doesn’t mean I am always right.”Yet there was time, and the mood, for candour. Asked what he has been working on when outside the side, Harbhajan made a mockery of all mystery-ball announcements spinners make nowadays. “Small adjustments from point to point,” he said. “I have not developed any mystery ball. [There is no fourth one or fifth one – taking on from the doosra, which literally translates to the second one. If the first one comes out all right, it will be enough to get the wickets]

Having achieved a settled side and one that is developing nicely, Bangladesh’s selectors don’t need any hiccups in Zimbabwe

Mohammad Isam04-Apr-2013Bangladesh’s selection committee will complete a full circle when they announce the Test team on Friday that will take on Zimbabwe in two Tests later this month.The three-member panel that began its reign exactly two years ago, had their first assignment to pick a team for the previous Zimbabwe tour, but this time the challenges are more perceptible rather than being routine.Much of the injury trouble has disappeared as Shakib Al Hasan is being readied for the tour and the recovery of Enamul Haque jnr, Shahriar Nafees and Naeem Islam now complete. Tamim Iqbal, who fractured his thumb during the first ODI against Sri Lanka, could also feature as early as the first Test against Zimbabwe. The only worry is Mashrafe Mortaza whose Test claims were shelved after he could not recuperate from a heel injury, but he is likely to make the ODI squad.All this is as much good news for the selection committee as it is a challenge. They have several options to pick from and whichever way they go, be it continuing with the incumbent squad of players or bringing back experienced players, they will have to back their decision to the hilt.There will be no other way for Akram, Minhazul Abedin and Habibul Bashar, all former Bangladesh captains. A tour to Zimbabwe has been traditionally a challenge that had the allure of a positive outcome. It was the same two years ago, but Bangladesh lost and that possibly made the selectors time in office a lot harder as they started their job with defeat.The Bangladesh team that lost the one-off Test was a team that was supposed to be in transition after the 2011 World Cup campaign. Instead, the losses in the Test and ODI series in Zimbabwe forced a drastic re-think in leadership while the team combination went through several changes, some of which were necessary, while many have been reactionary.As they complete selection for their second series against Zimbabwe during their reign, the selectors are facing a similar challenge as they did in April 2011, but this time with a history of small discretions along the way, which is adding to their expectation. In other words, a series win beckons and with a sense of anticipation that is a few times more than the last series against the same team.Their inability to find a proper set of pace bowlers has been a big disappointment. They have gone through six so far, none of whom got more than eleven wickets in Tests in the last two years. Injuries have also hurt their chances of forging a settled combination but their handling of these pace bowlers’ preparation has been quite poor. The constant excuse that these pace bowlers have used is the lack of bowling in longer games, which is a decision taken mainly by the selectors, who are caught between giving them enough bowling in domestic matches but mindful of using them in Test cricket.What has resulted is half-fit and poorly prepared pace bowlers relying on a defensive line and length and often without the accuracy of first-class bowlers. They have also made an error in judgment by not looking past Shahadat Hossain and using Robiul Islam as just a Test match bowler. Abul Hasan is another who is falling into the trap of less bowling and more mollycoddling, and it has resulted in his on-field performance and his continuous helplessness after a good first spell.What is on the selectors’ side is the settled look of the overall batting order. Their continuous chop and change to find Tamim Iqbal’s opening partner is a factor held against them. But the middle-order hasn’t seen too many upheavals and this has been one of their achievements.The selectors too have been a settled line-up for the last two years, another notch on their belt. But as far as a lower-ranked team like Bangladesh is concerned, they haven’t actually brought on many rare talents and backed them. Sohag Gazi was only an option against left-handed batsmen from West Indies, but the offspinner has exceeded that expectation from the selectors. Nasir Hossain, Anamul Haque and Mominul Haque are batsmen who “selected themselves” as one chief selector liked to say frequently.They have given eight debuts each in Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s so far and of them, players like Suhrawadi Shuvo, Nazimuddin and Shuvogoto Hom have already faded away from national contention.All of these negatives and positives will be weighed against Akram and his colleagues if a result other than a series win happens in Zimbabwe. With the World Cup two years away, it would not be wise to put them under more pressure because that would translate into pressure on the players, which should hardly be the case given how rapidly the team has developed in the last two years.

A round-up of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches on March 30, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2013

Group A

In a one-sided match, Kerala were crushed under the weight of a dominant batting performance from Gujarat, led by Manprit Juneja, who scored a belligerent century, and Abdulahad Malik, to lose by 90 runs in Indore. The victory helped Gujarat qualify for the final of the tournament, to be played against Punjab, as they snatched the top spot via a better net run-rate than Kerala.Soon after being put in to bat, Gujarat were struggling at 31 for 3 in the fifth over, with the top three batsmen in their line-up having been dismissed. Juneja and Malik, then, shared an unbeaten 202-run partnership – the third-highest for any wicket in Twenty20s and the highest for the fourth wicket – in 94 balls to take them to a daunting 233 for 4. Juneja scored 108 off 50 deliveries, and Malik 84 off 46, both unbeaten. The two hit 25 fours and six sixes between them.In reply, Kerala lost wickets frequently. Except opener VA Jagadeesh (36), Sanju Samson (32) and Raiphi Gomez (26), none of the other batsmen put up much resistance. They were eventually bowled out for 143, with seamer Mehul Patel and offspinner Jesal Karia taking three wickets each.A quick half-century from Faiz Fazal helped Vidarbha beat Delhi by five wickets. Delhi, batting first, put up a strong 156 for 7, through a knock of 45 from Mohit Sharma and an unbeaten 39 from middle-order batsman Milind Kumar. Two significant partnerships, between Mohit and Jagrit Anand (worth 57 runs), and between Milind and Nitish Rana (40) helped Delhi get to the total, even though they kept losing wickets.Fazal set the tone in Vidarbha’s reply by dominating the opening stand of 31. He added 53 runs with Urvesh Patel, and when the stand was broken, Vidarbha were strong at 83 for 2. Three wickets fell for 31, but Shalabh Shrivastava, with a 14-ball 26, took them home in 19 overs.

Group B

A career-best, unbeaten 93 from Gurkeerat Singh helped Punjab beat Uttar Pradesh by 51 runs and gave them a berth in the final, to be played against Gujarat on Sunday. UP, after choosing to field, removed opener Mandeep Singh in the first over, and Ravi Inder Singh in the sixth over. But Gurkeerat struck useful stands with Mayank Sidhana, Chandan Madan and Amitoze Singh to steer his team to 161 for 5. His 58-ball knock consisted of eight fours and six sixes.UP’s innings never took off as seamer Sandeep Sharma dented the top order with quick wickets and spinner Rahul Sharma followed up by taking four wickets. Mohammad Kaif (46) and captain Piyush Chawla (29) provided resistance with a 46-run stand for the fifth wicket, but then they lost six wickets for 19 runs to be bowled out for 110.Half-centuries from Jyot Chhaya and Vishnu Solanki took Baroda to a tight five-wicket victory over Karnataka at the Holkar Stadium. In their chase of 168, Baroda’s top-order batsmen squandered starts, but at 75 for 4, Chhaya added 90 runs off 52 balls with Solanki to take them home in the penultimate ball of the innings.Karnataka’s innings revolved around a 34-ball 49 from opener Robin Uthappa, and contributions from Karun Nair (22), Manish Pandey (29), and K Gowtham (24). Spinners Bhargav Bhatt and Krunal Pandya took three wickets each.

“He [Mushfiqur] is doing well, and I just feel he is an emotional guy. He felt bad after the defeat, that’s why he reacted that way,” Ziaur said

Mohammad Isam10-May-2013Since Mushfiqur Rahim surprised everyone by resigning as Bangladesh captain two days ago, the Bangladesh team has been kept away from talking about it to the media. The management finally let allrounder Ziaur Rahman take questions ahead of the first Twenty20 in Bulawayo.A relative newcomer in the squad, Ziaur hardly gave away anything on the Mushfiqur issue, but said the captain became emotional after the defeat in the one-day series. “After Wednesday, we have sat and talked about it [the resignation] together, and it hasn’t affected us,” Ziaur said. “We had a meeting today as well, where the captain talked to us about the conditions we are going to face. He [Mushfiqur] is doing well, and I just feel he is an emotional guy. He felt bad after the defeat, that’s why he reacted that way.”It is a good wicket, but there was help for the bowlers in the morning. But since the Twenty20s are starting in the afternoon, there won’t be too many issues for the batsmen, because it flattens out at that time. That’s what we discussed with the captain today.”The atmosphere around the Bangladesh team has been unusually quiet according to reports from Bulawayo. It caught everyone’s eye because this team is known to be quite accommodating with the media. The last time such a shutdown took place was after the team was bowled out for 58 against West Indies in the 2011 World Cup, following which Shakib Al Hasan criticised former players in a newspaper column.Newspaper reports in Bangladesh have claimed that several of Mushfiqur’s team-mates, who got wind of his impending announcement moments after Wednesday’s match, rushed to him in the dressing room. They urged him to think about it after returning home, but he was adamant. According to one report, Mushfiqur was even asked to skip the press conference but he went a few minutes after Mahmudullah to tell the media.BCB has vowed to convince Mushfiqur to stay, and they have almost five months to do so. The two Twenty20s on Saturday and Sunday are Bangladesh’s last international matches till October when they take on New Zealand at home.

BCCI treasurer Ravi Savant is the first board official to speak out against MS Dhoni’s possible conflict of interest, saying the India captain should immediately disassociate himself from the sports management company

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2013The new BCCI treasurer Ravi Savant is the first board official to speak out against MS Dhoni’s possible conflict of interest, saying the India captain should immediately disassociate himself from the sports management company that manages him and a few other India players.”Dhoni should immediately disassociate himself from the management firm while he is captain,” Savant told NDTV. “Dhoni should be given a notice for conflict of interest if this was not part of his contract earlier.”The new BCCI secretary Sanjay Patil, however, said the board was not going to act immediately. “Whatever Mr Savant has said is his personal opinion and the board has nothing to do with it,” he said. “The board has no intention to send any letter to either Dhoni or any other cricketer with the Champions Trophy going on. There was no discussion on this issue at the working committee meeting.”On Monday, the BCCI stand-in chief Jagmohan Dalmiya said the board would look into the issue involving Dhoni and Rhiti Sports Management Pvt Ltd, but only after the ongoing Champions Trophy in England.”I don’t want to disturb the team during the Champions Trophy. I gain nothing by doing that,” Dalmiya had following the BCCI’s emergent working committee meeting in Delhi. “We have taken note of the issue. We are looking into it but we are not going to hound someone.”The issue centres around Dhoni’s involvement with Rhiti Sports Management Pvt Ltd, the company that manages his commercial interests and those of some other India players such as Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, and looks after Chennai Super Kings’ marketing. Dhoni had owned 15% stake in the company for a little over one month earlier this year, meaning that, at least on paper, he was India captain with a say in the selection of players managed by the company he co-owned, and a possible share in the profits that their endorsements yielded.According to a statement issued by Rhiti Sports, the shares issued to Dhoni were bought back the following month, and the transaction was only to clear some of the company’s dues. “As on date, MSD holds no shareholding in Rhiti Sports Management (P) Ltd. However, it is made clear that shareholding was allotted to MSD on 22.03.2013 only to secure certain old outstandings which were due for more than one year,” the statement, signed by Rhiti Sports’ chairman and managing director Arun Pandey, said. “Further, the payments were cleared in April 2013 and the shareholding was transferred back to promoter of the company on 26.04.2013.”1445 GMT This story has been updated to include the quote from BCCI treasurer Ravi Savant

Grant Bradburn, the former New Zealand offspinner, has been appointed head coach of New Zealand A and the national Under-19 side

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2013Grant Bradburn, the former New Zealand offspinner, has been appointed head coach of New Zealand A and the national Under-19 side. He will begin his new role this week and has been contracted until the end of the U-19 World Cup in March 2014.”To be able to work with some of New Zealand’s most elite and exciting players is a great opportunity,” Bradburn said. He will head to Darwin for the ongoing U-19 tri-series also involving Australia and India, and coach the A team ahead of the tours of India and Sri Lanka in August.”The Under-19 team is the future of New Zealand cricket and tournaments like the tri-series and Under-19 World Cup are prime opportunities to introduce them to the pressures of international cricket. New Zealand A gives players the chance to make the next step up from domestic level and push for future blackcaps selection. It’s important that we get their preparation right.”Bradburn played seven Tests and 11 ODIs for New Zealand. He made 127 first-class appearances, scoring 4978 runs and taking 250 wickets, most of which were for Northern Districts, a side he later coached for five years.”We’re thrilled to have secured someone like Grant, who as shown by his successful time with the Northern Knights, is a proven first-class coach,” John Buchanan, NZC director of cricket said. “Improving our depth at the top level is a focus for us, and both- the New Zealand A and the New Zealand U-19 side, will play a big part in this. With his experience and knowledge of the domestic scene, we’re confident Grant’s the right man for the job.”

Cheteshwar Pujara has said that exposure to the one-day format at the international level would help him change people’s perception about him being only a longer-format player

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2013Cheteshwar Pujara has said that exposure to the one-day format at the international level would help him change people’s perception about him being only a longer-format player. Pujara is part of India’s squad that is scheduled to play five ODIs in Zimbabwe starting July 24 and is likely to make his ODI debut during the series.”I think I have the basics, now it’s just about shifting the gears at the right time, and that comes with more matches at the international level,” Pujara told the . “My technique is correct. Yeah, maybe at times, you need to learn more shots and you need to play according to the situation, but that comes with experience.”Pujara made a seamless entry into Test cricket after years of piling up runs in first-class cricket, and this time, the selectors have also put their faith on his equally impressive List A record and added him to the ODI squad. In 61 List A matches, Pujara has scored 2735 runs at an average of 56.97. He gave a glimpse of his talent during last year’s Challenger Trophy, smashing 158*, 124* and 79 at a strike rate of 107. During his Test hundreds against Australia earlier this year, he maintained high strike rates too despite taking time to settle in, an approach, Pujara feels, would help in overseas conditions.”With the two new balls, it does make a difference, and you have to be technically correct,” he said. “If you are playing on a flat wicket, then it’s a different story altogether, but when you are playing overseas, you can’t play your shots from the beginning, and you need wickets at the end to accelerate. And with the new rules, you have five fielders inside (the circle), so even acceleration becomes easier once the ball is old. But you need to have wickets in hand.”Pujara will also lead the India A side in South Africa after the Zimbabwe tour and he said that the experience during the tour would be key ahead of India’s Test tour to South Africa later this year.”I have been to South Africa. I have played two Test matches, so I have some experience, but the A tour will be very helpful, for me and a few other players who will be part of the Indian team in November-December,” he said. “It will really help to score some runs and get some experience in these conditions before the main series.”