Shoaib Akhtar’s troubles continue as Nasim Ashraf, chairman of the PCB, has served a legal notice on the fast bowler for comments he made to a private television channel in the aftermath of the PCB’s decision to ban him for five years.Shoaib appeared on a number of TV channels yesterday arguing his case, after he addressed a packed press conference claiming that he had been victimised. Though he refused to attack the chairman specifically on some channels, in an interview to the Express News channel, he alleged that the ban was punishment in return for refusing to give the chairman a share of his salary from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shoaib also alleged that Ashraf had tried to extort money from other Pakistani cricketers as well.The notice, issued by the board’s legal firm on behalf of Ashraf, said that the comments made by Shoaib were “not only utterly outrageous, fabricated, and manifestly baseless” but were made “solely to character assassinate [Ashraf]”. It added that his allegations were a “counterblast” to the disciplinary action taken against Shoaib, and had damaged the reputation of Ashraf, as well as the Pakistan board.The notice called upon Shoaib to “retract” his statements against Ashraf, and “tender an unconditional apology”. The notice also sought damages of Rs100 million (approximately US$1.6 million) to Ashraf for “defaming him personally” and another Rs100 million to the PCB for “sullying the name of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket team.”Ashraf has threatened to seek legal remedies under the civil and criminal laws of Pakistan if Shoaib does not respond to the notice’s requirements.This is the second setback on the day for Shoaib, who just hours earlier, was barred from taking part in the IPL till the end of his five-year ban or until his ban is lifted.Shoaib was banned for comments he made after not being offered a contract by the PCB, in which he lashed out at domestic tournaments, pitches and the administration. The severity of the ban, argue the board, is the result of a litany of disciplinary issues; he was also on a two-year probationary period after hitting team-mate Mohammad Asif with a bat before the World Twenty20 last year, an act which also saw him banned for 13 matches and fined over US$50,000. The board had warned him that any further transgression during this period would result in a life ban.
10:30 – Ford gets the voteThe seven-man committee, after listening to both candidates, decided to recommend Graham Ford’s name to the BCCI working committee which will ratify the appointment. That is expected to be a formality, and Ford is now almost certain to take charge for the one-day series against his compatriots in Ireland later this month.9:30pm – Ford gets his chanceThe media weren’t allowed onto the first floor where the meeting was being held, but it was believed that Emburey had finished his presentation, leaving the floor to Ford, reportedly the players’ choice for the job.8:30pm – Embers goes firstJohn Emburey is first to make his presentation in front of the seven-member committee after the meeting starts half an hour late.8:20pm – Sunil Gavaskar arrives from GoaTwenty minutes after the others went upstairs, Sunil Gavaskar arrives after having attended a personal function in Goa. As with the others, he’s mobbed by waiting media. Before he goes into the elevator, Gavaskar asks: “Is nobody at the [Afro-Asia Cup] match?”8:00pm – Pawar makes his entranceAs the clock struck eight, Sharad Pawar came down from his suite to the first-floor banquet hall where the meeting is being held. Dressed in white as always, he was surrounded by a phalanx of bodyguards.7:41pm – The stop-gap manRavi Shastri, who coached India in Bangladesh, turns up with Srinivas Venkataraghavan. Again, there’s a frenzied response from the assembled media. Shastri asks one if he wants to come in. “Into the elevator?” asks the mediaperson. “No, only into the elevator,” quips Shastri before the door slides shut.7:35pm – The coach-maker arrivesNiranjan Shah, the board secretary, arrives, accompanied by Ratnakar Shetty, the chief executive, N Srinivasan, the treasurer, and MP Pandove. As they’re mobbed by TV cameras, Pandove turns around and tells a cameraman: “He’s only the secretary, not the coach!” The reply is a classic. “But he’s the coach-maker.”7:20pm – Touching glovesBoth men, dressed in suits and carrying laptops, entered the elevator to proceed to the meeting. Despite a posse of photographers clicking away, Ford and Emburey were seen chatting amiably as they proceeded to make the presentations that would decide who would succeed Greg Chappell as Indian coach.6:30pm – The saga beginsAnd finally the day of reckoning for the future Indian coach arrived. On a warm yet cloudy Saturday evening, with the Asia XI taking on the Africa XI in the second one-dayer at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, the action, at least as far as the media was concerned, shifted to the Park Sheraton Hotel and Towers. Sharad Pawar, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, arrived shortly after 5pm and checked into his suite. It’s believed – and there has been no information officially disseminated to the media so far – that Graham Ford and John Emburey, the two men vying for the coach’s job, would have to make their presentations either in Pawar’s suite or in the Elliot banquet hall.The rest of the committee were yet to reach the hotel. BCCI officials also on the committee were at the MA Chidambaram Stadium watching the match, and were only expected to arrive closer to 8pm, when it was believed that the meetings would begin. Sunil Gavaskar, the most influential of the three former Indian cricketers in the seven-man committee, had already excused himself from commentary duties with ESPN, who are broadcasting the Afro-Asia Cup. It has been reported that Gavaskar was in Goa, attending to a family function, but he was expected to be present at the meetings that will decide between Ford and Emburey.Ravi Shastri, another former cricketer on the panel who is on contract with ESPN, had asked his employers to be excused and would make it to the Park Sheraton in time for the discussions. At half-past six, however, only Pawar was present at the venue, and his presence was hard to miss given the elaborate police protection all round the hotel. Right from cars parked outside, with cops inside ready and on the go, to policemen in uniform keeping watch outside the hotel and in the foyer where the elevators to Pawar’s room were located, khaki was everywhere.When the same committee met in Bangalore and announced the short-list of Ford and Emburey, the media were kept out of the Hotel Grand Ashok, ostensibly on “security grounds”, and as yet, a similar measure had not been taken in Chennai.
Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, has said that it was important for Pakistan to beat India in the two-match ODI series beginning in Abu Dhabi to regain their confidence. Pakistan lost the recent one-day series at home 1-4 after beating India 1-0 in the Tests. However, they toured Sri Lanka and won the Test series 1-0 and the one-day series 2-0, their fourth win in the last five ODI series.”Its needless for me to elaborate on an India-Pakistan series,” Woolmer told Press Trust of India. “These games draw massive interest around the world. Our team is in high spirits for the two games. We certainly would like to have our names as the first-ever winners at this venue.”Both matches are day-night fixtures and will be played at the Zayad Cricket Stadium which can seat 16,000 fans. It is the second venue in the United Arab Emirates, after Sharjah, to host international cricket matches. The proceeds from the first game will be donated to the survivors of the earthquake that hit parts of Pakistan and northern India.Since October 2005, India have beaten Sri Lanka 6-1, Pakistan 4-1, England 5-1 and held South Africa to a 2-2 draw, and Woolmer admitted that they would be hard opponents. “Obviously India is not an easy team to beat. They are playing well at the moment but Pakistan has got the type of players to match them in all departments of the game.”India’s strength has been that different players have produced matchwinning performances and therefore the pressure on Rahul Dravid in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar has been reduced. The poor form of Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif has been balanced by sterling performances from Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “We need both Veeru and Kaif at their best but I am glad there are others willing to raise their hand for the cause of the team,” said Dravid. “We have always had good contests against Pakistan and it should be no different in these two games as well.” India had a practice session at the stadium on Monday but were without Greg Chappell who was suffering from an upset stomach.Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan president, arrived to watch the first game and several other dignitaries – UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, BCCI President Sharad Pawar and Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel – will be present during the match. A host of Indian film personalities – like Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Zayed Khan and Esha Deol – were also expected to be at the matches. Preperations were under way for a spectacular laser and firework, where around 200 acrobats will perform.India: Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid (capt) Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ramesh Powar, Ajit Agarkar, Munaf Patel, Venugopal Rao, S Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh.Pakistan: Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Kamran Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Faisal Iqbal, Abdul Rehman.
Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) have signed a new four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will result in both national and state players receiving pay rises and increased career and welfare support. In April this year, the players had finally ended months of negotiation and avoided a potential repeat of the sponsorship crisis that afflicted West Indies.The agreement meant that retainers of players contracted to the Australian board will grow at an annual rate of 5.78% and those of state-contracted players will increase at an annual rate of 5.53% over the term of the agreement. Test players, who will earn a minimum retainer of Au$145,000 in the 2005-06 season, will see their base income rise to Au$160,000 by the end of the deal in 2008-09. State players receive a maximum of Au$95,000 and a minimum of Au$34,000 next season, rising to a maximum of Au$110,000 in 2008-09. However, match fees for each Test (Au$12,250) and Pura Cup game (Au$3300) will not change yet.James Sutherland, the CEO of the Australian board, said the new agreement will allow the game to reward Australian and state players with increased payments, balanced with the ability to continue investing heavily in the game at grassroots level.”Cricket Australia is pleased that it has been able to continue the partnership with the Australian Cricketers’ Association,” Sutherland said. “Our starting point in negotiating this new agreement was to ensure that we can continue paying our players well, allowing them to share in the financial success of the game, without compromising the game at grassroots level. Results of a recent review into Australian cricket suggest it is in good shape, but can’t afford to rest on its laurels and expect to maintain its privileged place in the Australian way of life. We need to nurture the game, both at the elite level and the grassroots and due to the co-operation of the ACA we are now in a better position than ever to do this.Tim May, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, said the new agreement was an acknowledgement of the players’ contribution to the success of Australian cricket both off and on the field. “Our players have worked hard and achieved great things for Australian cricket and they deserve to be rewarded for this success and the revenue growth that this success has created,” May said. “By maintaining a 25 per cent share of Australian Cricket Revenue, players have an incentive to grow the game’s revenues and satisfy and support sponsor initiatives. An important platform of the new agreement is the significant increase to funding for the players’ Career and Welfare Program.May added that The Career and Welfare Program, coordinated by the ACA in conjunction with the state cricket associations, will enjoy an injection of a further Au$2million over the term of the agreement. The amount will assist the appointment of C&W specific resources in each state, subsidies to assist and encourage players to commit to higher education and development of their after cricketing careers, together with an expanded base of welfare resources off the field.The new MOU will also see:* Players receive 25 per cent of a redefined Australian Cricket Revenue pool, known as the Player Payments Pool (PPP). Cricket Australia-contracted players will receive 55 per cent of the PPP, while state-contracted players will receive 45 per cent of the PPP;* The ability for state teams to offer up to three extra rookie contracts per season (now eight); and* Au$2.8 million invested in career and welfare programs over the life of the agreement, including a set fund designed to encourage players to take up tertiary study. This is up from $800,000 in the previous MOU.
Khaled Mahmud’s future as Bangladesh captain continues to attract many column inches in Bangladesh’s newspapers, but for the moment he remains, although there is an increasing feeling that he will be replaced before the tour of Zimbabwe.Usually the Bangladesh board selects a captain and then names a side, but earlier this month it announced that it would let the selectors pick the squad before naming the captain. The change on policy reflects the thinking of Dav Whatmore, a firm believer in the Australian idea of selecting the skipper from the players.”We decided to break the convention as a show of respect to the selectors’ desire,” Reazuddin Al Mamun, chairman of the board’s media committee, explained.He also dismissed speculation that the board were about to name separate Test and one-day captains. “The question was raised in the board meeting but not for discussion because we don’t believe we have options for such luxury. I can assure you that only one person will lead the team in the coming series.”
For almost the entire fifth day at Eden Gardens, Bengal and and Gujarat may as well have been batting on completely different pitches, each the polar opposite of the other. The result, as was predictable for much of the day, was a draw, and Bengal qualified for the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy by virtue of their first-innings lead.Resuming on 279/3, Bengal continued to pile on the runs with little difficulty. Rohan Gavaskar missed out on a century, adding only four runs to his overnight score of 74 before falling. But Subhomoy Das and Sanjib Sanyal, first-innings heroes, repeated their Damon-and-Pythias act, sticking together for a stand of 162 runs for the fifth wicket.Sanyal was the first to fall, tragically run out just eight runs short of his second hundred in the match. His 92 came off 132 balls and featured 11 fours. Das took his time over his hundred, making 107 off 196 balls, with 12 fours, before he too was run out.Gavaskar declared on the stroke of that run-out, leaving Gujarat with an impossible target of 515 runs. Sanyal, however, was not done yet. Determined to make his mark on this match as deep as possible, he picked two quick wickets for Bengal fans to actually entertain visions of an outright win.Three more wickets did fall, but Gujarat’s batsmen held on long enough to draw the match. At stumps, the visitors were 69/5, but the score was only of academic value, for Bengal had effectively won the quarter-final by qualifying for the semi-finals.
Lahore, Nov 7: The four-day Quaid-i-Azam Cricket Trophy Grade I matchbetween Lahore Whites and Rawalpindi ended in a draw at the LCCAGround on Tuesday.Seeing no possibility of a result, umpires Salim Badar and Feroz Buttdecided to finish the match with Lahore Whites on 202 for eight in69.4 overs. The hosts were chasing a target of 251.Rawalpindi claimed three points for taking first innings lead.Rawalpindi had gained 29-run lead in the first innings by scoring 225runs andthereafter restricting Lahore Whites to 196. Rawalpindi scored221 for nine in their second knock.Resuming their second innings at 194 for six, Rawalpindi added only 27runs this morning. Mujahid Hameed hit an unbeaten knock of 58 in 133minutes, studded witheight boundaries. Yasir Arafat contributed 31.Paceman Sajid Ali took three wickets for 54 while Irfan Fazil andcaptain Naeem Ashraf claimed two wickets each, conceding 83 and 33runs, respectively. Shahid Javed, who had broken his right thumb off adelivery from Naeem Ashraf on Monday, could not bat on Tuesday.Lahore Whites’ chase for victory was shaky as paceman Yasir Arafatclaimed three wickets. Kashif Siddiq top-scored with a fine knock of64 off 147 balls, which included six boundaries. Test opener ZahoorElahi scored 41 (including five fours and a six), Tariq Aziz 45 (threefours and a six) and Kazim Ali 20.
Every Premier League game has become important for Frank Lampard and his Everton side as they battle for safety this season so that their top-flight status can be maintained.
Tonight they will host Newcastle United at Goodison Park in a rescheduled fixture that gives them the opportunity to gain distance from the relegation zone.
The Toffees boss revealed in his pre-match press conference that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still uncertain for the game and will be assessed further ahead of the clash, with the decision on his selection going down to the wire.
Yerry Mina, Tom Davies and Fabian Delph remain on the injury table, and Jonjoe Kenny will be unavailable for selection following a one-match ban after receiving a red card over two yellow-carded fouls against Wolves.
With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Everton to line up their team against Newcastle United this evening…
We predict that Lampard will make just two changes in his team that lost to Wolves last weekend, but will switch formation from 3-4-3 to 4-4-3, matching Eddie Howe’s favoured set-up for the Magpies.
The first player we expect to see integrated into the team is Allan, who may return to the midfield, alongside Donny Van de Beek and Abdoulaye Doucoure. The Brazilian national has proven time and time again he offers fantastic attributes in the midfield over the course of the season so far, playing the full 90 minutes in every single one of the six victories that Everton have tallied.
According to SofaScore, the 31-year-old makes 2.8 tackles and 1.1 clearances on average per game, has an 87% pass success rate in his own half and is successful in the majority of his dribbles (68%) in his 22 Premier League appearances so far, proving that he is effective in that central position in midfield.
The second player we expect to be given their chance against Newcastle United is Anwar El Ghazi, who hasn’t had the opportunity to start a game yet and has only had 11 minutes of game time for the club since he joined in January. But with the team failing to score in their last four league games Lampard could put a fresh perspective in the attacking line.
The £9m-rated gem who was hailed “unstoppable” by Alan Hutton, has already scored against the Tyneside club this season when he netted the second goal in Aston Villa’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle at Villa Park in August, and the Toffees boss will be hoping that he can emulate his performance tonight.
With El Ghazi’s inclusion in the side, it means that Lampard will need to drop an attacker from his front line, and we expect that Demarai Gray will be the player to lose out in the starting line-up for this game.
The £42k-per-week forward who was dubbed a “big player” by Lampard, could be the man that loses out with Anthony Gordon and Richarlison holding their spots in the team to make way for a chance to be given to another offensive face.
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Ultimately, Everton cannot afford any room for error and must impose themselves effectively on this Newcastle side this evening, as they are currently only safe from the drop zone by goal difference.
This game in hand over their relegation competitors is the perfect opportunity for Lampard to take in front of the home fans at Goodison Park.
In other news: Everton dealt fresh injury setback ahead of NUFC, Frank will be frustrated
Bails don’t budge The last ball of the 70th over had an otherwise resolute Jacques Kallis in a spot of bother. Harbhajan Singh, with a 6-3 leg-side field, got one to turn and spit up from outside off stump and Kallis stayed back to uneasily fend it off. What followed drew loud gasps from all who saw it. The ball struck Kallis’ glove, rolled onto the stumps and made contact. The bails, however, stuck to the grooves and remained intact. The next time the ball deflected off Kallis’ bat the bails did come off, but by that time he’d helped himself to 132.Heads up India’s fielding on day two was pretty ordinary, but there were moments when it appeared they didn’t care. On two occasions between lunch and tea, the fielder at cover collected the ball and passed it to mid-off, as is customary, who proceeded to throw it towards the bowler – andmiss the man altogether. The first occasion it was Irfan Pathan on the receiving end, who’d already seen a needless throw give up three runs, and on the second it was Sreesanth, walking back to his mark, who almost ducked as a lob went over his head. These were elementary errorsthat many school coaches would have sent their wards for laps of the ground for.Cheeky, cheeky AB de Villiers has played some energetic innings in one-day cricket and while batting on 98 he pulled out a typical ODI shot to reach three figures. Clearly itching to get to the mark – he tried to hit one down the ground the over before – he walked right across his stumps and paddledSourav Ganguly from outside off down to fine leg. That shot has became rather en vogue, and de Villiers pulled it off like true pro.A four-storey shot de Villiers scored a brilliant century against West Indies in last year’s World Cup, virtually on one leg, and today he raised his highest Test score with a shot off one leg. Skipping down the track to Harbhajan, he was beaten in flight but went through with his almighty heave, falling over and landing on his back. While de Villiers lay there in a heap, and the Indians craned their necks as the ball made its way onto the deep midwicket roof. That ball travelled at least 100 metres. It was a shot that would have made Rohan Kanhai and Denis Compton proud.No, is how you do it As people looked up and wondered how to get that ball down from the roof, thankfully one of the manual scorers, already on the roof skipped across the tiles and threw the ball back onto the field. It was a fine throw to the bowler’s end, right in the line of the stumps before Pathan intercepted it with one hand. It was the best throw all day. This kid could be the news channels’ colour story of the day.Drama queen Harbhajan was clearly the most animated player on the field and at the start of the 130th over he caught a bump ball off de Villiers and had the crowd excited by pretending to celebrate the dismissal. Spurred by the spectators’ response, Harbhajan repeated his act in the next ball. More drama from him four overs later when Sourav Ganguly failed to back up to stop five overthrows off his bowling. Harbhajan, peeved at such incompetence, gave Ganguly an earful.
A day before the Indian team for the tour of Bangladesh was to be selected, Yuvraj Singh hammered a stylish 70 to win Punjab a berth in the final of the domestic Twenty20 championships, where they will take on Tamil Nadu (see points table). After failing to fire in each of Punjab’s first three matches in this tournament, where he made 0, 25 and 12, Yuvraj came to the party in fine style against Orissa, going after the bowling with characteristic freedom and aggression, giving full expression to his range of strokes.Being put in to bat, Punjab’s strong batting line-up put up the first 200-plus score of the tournament. Ravneet Ricky, who has been scoring consistently, made 25 at the top of the order, but it was Yuvraj and Dinesh Mongia (43) who did the serious damage. Early on in his innings, Yuvraj was content just looking to hit fours, and his powerful pulling on a good batting surface meant that the fielders had plenty of work to do retrieving the ball from the boundaries. In addition to his eight fours, Yuvraj launched four sixes, one of which ended up on the roof of the stands over midwicket. Yuvraj’s 39-ball 70 took Punjab to 201.Orissa had little chance of chasing down the target and ended on 130 for 7 from 20 overs, falling well short of the target before them. One of the talking points, after Yuvraj’s innings, was the bowling of Harbhajan Singh, who managed 1 for 15 from two overs. Although Twenty20 is hardly a stage to judge a bowler, the outing at least gave Harbhajan a chance to get some overs under his belt in a competitive situation.”You need to play a lot more in Twenty20 to get an idea of what to do and what not to do,” Harbhajan said soon after the game ended. He also felt that Twenty20 was the sort of game where raw strength and power, rather than skill, would help batsmen succeed. He called the format a “fun game”, although who was having fun under the scorching Mumbai sun, with no spectators at the ground, was not immediately clear. “You need bowlers who can be effective in this game if you want to win,” said Harbhajan, while adding, “The challenge of playing Twenty20 at the domestic level is less. Bowling to the world’s best batsmen is not so easy.”And it has not been an easy few months for Harbhajan. Although he has enjoyed the support of his captain and the selectors, the wickets are not coming as easily as they used to and the bowler who gave the ball a rip and bamboozled the Australians to the tune of 32 wickets from three Tests back in 2001, seems a distant, faded memory. Harbhajan, today, is an offspinner who bowls flat rather flighted, restrictive rather than hungry for wickets. In his last 50 ODIs he does not even average one wicket a game, with just one five-wicket haul. Each of his 48 scalps has come at an price of 38.43 runs. These are not the numbers of a champion offspinner leading an attack.When the selectors and the team management sit down to pick the team for Bangladesh, Ramesh Powar will be the first spinner they agree on. If Dravid bats for Harbhajan, as he has in the past, then there’s a chance he’ll keep his place, albeit under careful scrutiny, with a clear brief to bowl for wickets. The one thing going in Harbhajan’s favour is that Powar is a naturally attacking bowler, and this might make space for a bowler who is restrictive. Also, just as Anil Kumble’s career – at least in Tests – was boosted massively by the competition for a place that Harbhajan brought, and he was forced to become a more versatile bowler, this might be the chance for Harbhajan to take his game to the next level. Whether that opportunity will be afforded to him, depends on the thinking of the selectors, the captain and Ravi Shastri, the cricket manager.Three of the selectors – Dilip Vengsarkar, Bhupinder Singh and Ranjib Biswal – have plenty of time to talk about the decisions they would take tomorrow as they watched a match of no consequence, between Karnataka and Railways. Rahul Dravid, under the weather, didn’t play, and Railways knocked off the 163 runs they needed to register a facile win.