Umar Akmal and Junaid Khan have been fined 50% of their match fee, after a report submitted by the PCB’s inquiry committee that looked into Umar’s comments on Junaid’s availability for the match

Umar Farooq17-May-2017Umar Akmal and Junaid Khan have been fined 50% of their match fee for misconduct in an incident related to a Pakistan Cup List A match in April. The PCB had set up an inquiry committee to look into the controversy, which centred around Umar’s comments on Junaid’s availability for the match, and the committee submitted its report to the board on Wednesday.”The Pakistan Cricket Board has imposed a fine, i.e. fifty percent of the match fee, to Umar Akmal and Junaid Khan for their misconduct at the Pakistan Cup 2017 held last month in Rawalpindi,” PCB said in a statement. “The Board has also warned the two players that they will be under observation for a month starting 18th May and reoccurrence of breach of discipline will lead to one-month suspension.”Umar, who captained Punjab in the tournament, was asked about team changes during the toss in the match against Sindh. He stated that Nasir Nawaz had replaced Junaid in the XI. When pressed for reasons, Umar stated he was surprised by Junaid’s absence at the ground.”I just found out when I walked into the ground that he [Junaid] is absent,” Umar had said. “I’m very surprised. The manager and coach told me he’s not going to be playing today. It’s shocking news for me, as captain.”For his part, Junaid, in a rebuttal issued through a short video clip, stated he was unwell and had been advised rest, and that the team management had been made aware of his condition. ESPNcricinfo understands Umar was aware of the situation before the toss.”I am saddened to hear the remarks Umar Akmal made on television, saying ‘I ran away from the team’. I have not run away,” Junaid said. “I am dealing with a case of food poisoning and the team management is aware of that. In fact, I was advised by the team doctor not to play today. Umar Akmal knew of this, and it was a shock for me to hear him say what he did, and I don’t know why he said it.”Both players are part of Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in June.

Jack Leach delivered a strong reminder of his undoubted talent as 12 wickets fell to spin on the first day of the Specsavers’ County Championship game between Somerset and Hampshire

ECB Reporters Network26-May-2017
ScorecardJack Leach delivered a strong reminder of his undoubted talent as 12 wickets fell to spin on the first day of the Specsavers’ County Championship game between Somerset and Hampshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground.Having come in to the game with only six first-class wickets to his name this summer, the 25-year-old left-arm spinner doubled his season’s tally as Hampshire were bowled out for 162 inside 50 overs.By the close, Somerset, for whom Dean Elgar scored 60, trailed by five runs with as many first-innings wickets in hand.A morning that began brightly for Hampshire finished with Somerset firmly on top. Having won the toss, the visitors, looked in precious little trouble in reaching 34 for 0 in the 14th over.However, by the time the two sides sat down for lunch, Hampshire had already lost more than half of their first-innings wickets.Openers Michael Carberry and Liam Dawson got the board moving inside the first hour before Dawson (13), carelessly pulled a short ball from Leach to Dom Bess at square leg. Carberry (17) followed at 34 for 2 and five overs later, Leach struck again. This time, it was James Vince who perished to the slow left armer, for 11.Rilee Rossouw (0) and Sean Ervine (8) departed shortly after, to Leach and Bess respectively and before lunch arrived, Lewis McManus had been caught by James Hildreth at short leg, off the bowling of Bess for a first ball duck. Although the wicket was taking considerable turn, it had been a less than impressive display of batting.Having reduced Hampshire to 100 for 6 at lunch, Somerset finally bowled out the visitors for 162 off 49.1 overs.
Leach, who had Gareth Berg stumped by Steven Davies for 10 at 100 for 7, sent back George Bailey (49) with a delightful delivery that pitched on leg stump and struck off.Jack Leach claimed six wickets on the first day at Taunton•Getty Images

Jamie Overton denied the spin twins all 10 first-innings wickets when he picked up the scalp of Mason Crane (1) at 154 for 9. However, it was business as usual for Leach in the 50th over when he trapped Kyle Abbott (49) lbw.Somerset’s reply was decent without being totally satisfactory. Still, by the close they had moved to within five runs of Hampshire’s modest total.Marcus Trescothick departed for 6 at 15 for 1 before captain Tom Abell and Elgar added 75 for the second wicket. However, when Abell departed, for 40, at 90 for 2, Hampshire clawed their way back into the game with three further wickets falling before the close.Elgar, who became the first batsman on the day to reach 50, off 74 balls with six fours and a six, made 60 but fell to Dawson, who finished the day with 3 for 44 off 15 overs.James Hildreth was adjudged lbw to Abbott for 7 at 119 for 3 and after Elgar’s dismissal at 121 for 4, Peter Trego was fifth man out at 141 in the 37th over, for 10. Davies and Lewis Gregory saw Somerset through to the close without any further setbacks.

A CoA official said there was no other way to adopt the new constitution given that the BCCI has opted to setup a fresh committee to identify the difficulties in implementing the Supreme Court’s July 18 order

Arun Venugopal28-Jun-2017With the BCCI’s member units not adopting the Lodha Committee recommendations at the board’s special general meeting on Monday, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) has said it has been left with little choice but to ask the Supreme Court to enforce the reforms. A CoA official said there was no other way to adopt the new constitution given that the BCCI setup a fresh committee to identify the difficulties in implementing the Supreme Court’s July 18 order rather than accept the Lodha recommendations.”Our hope was that they would pass the resolution and move forward, indicating willingness to reform and progress,” the official told ESPNcricinfo. “We told them that if they don’t do that then we will have to get the court to enforce. How else will the constitution be adopted otherwise?”With a number of member units of the BCCI having filed affidavits in the Supreme Court against the implementation of the Lodha recommendations, the CoA had tried to impress upon them that stalling the implementation of the reforms would be counterproductive. Instead, the Supreme Court-appointed committee had urged the state bodies to filter their objections to the recommendations to a few points and submit them to the court for reconsideration. This, the CoA had reiterated at its meeting with the state associations on the eve of the SGM, would be beneficial to all parties concerned.The BCCI’s old guard, though, has indicated that it wants to brazen it out. A veteran state association official from the south zone argued that there was no guarantee that the Supreme Court would reconsider the recommendations the member units objected to. “There is nothing in writing,” he said. “If the court says ‘the BCCI is abolished’ we will all go. But, I will not [voluntarily] jump into the river. Let us see what happens on July 14.”The BCCI’s seven-member committee, headed by IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, is likely to submit a report on July 10, four days before the Supreme Court’s hearing. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court-appointed CoA is meeting on July 1 to discuss the next course of action. “We have to discuss what we have to do, now that the SGM has passed the decision of creating a committee,” the CoA official said. “We won’t finalise the status reports [to be sent to the Supreme Court] on July 1. It will be filed a bit later than that.”

Stuart Meaker bowled quickly to claim three wickets but Middlesex’s seemingly under par 247 was looking a little better by the close

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Kia Oval28-Aug-2017Stuart Meaker took two wickets in two balls•Getty Images

A bank holiday crowd filed into the Kia Oval and sunned themselves for 93 overs. Many hit the stronger drinks before midday, safe in the knowledge that only a four-day working week stood before them. All bar a few perambulated during lunch or tea, taking in their historic surroundings. And typically, no one – Surrey or Middlesex fan – left happy.The home fans, satisfied that Middlesex had been bowled out in just over a couple of sessions, were dismayed by losing both their openers by the close. Those who ventured from north London, spiritually if not geographically, felt their experienced batting card should have done a lot better in such favourable conditions.Cricket isn’t played on paper – how amusing would it be if it was? – but when the respective teams were revealed after Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat, it seemed that they held all the aces. The visitors welcomed back Toby-Roland Jones to their ranks after 14 wickets in three Tests for England that has all but assured him of a place in this winter’s Ashes squad.The opportunity to go straight into a game rather than simmer on the sidelines and carry the drinks as Chris Woakes played ahead of him is one he duly took. Two wickets in the dregs of the opening day – debutant Ryan Patel caught superbly by Sam Robson at bat-pad and Rory Burns edging a beauty that nipped away from the left-hander, through to John Simpson – may have tilted the game back to Middlesex. For most of the day, however, a depleted Surrey were on top.Without Tom Curran, whose back is feeling the effects of 237 Championship overs in 11 innings this summer (not to mention his white ball lot), Aaron Finch, who injured his calf in Friday’s T20 Blast quarter-final defeat to Birmingham Bears, and with Mark Stoneman away with England, Surrey were pushed to hand debuts to Patel and Ollie Pope. Yet, with four 19-year-olds in their XI, it was their maturity in the field that allowed them to dismiss Middlesex for 247, with the sun out and a pitch that allowed batsmen to play their shots.Robson did just that. One of the many casualties in England’s haphazard pursuit of an opening partner for Alastair Cook, Robson has been one of the few to return to county cricket and continue on, seemingly unscarred by the experience. Whether that is totally the case, only Robson can tell you, but his game has taken on a free-flowing quality that has not impinged on the resilience that saw him earn his debut call-up. Without wishing to sound churlish – he is much easier on the eye.His third half-century of the season, from 107 balls with eight fours, felt like it would develop into his third century. By that point, Surrey had removed Nick Compton and Stevie Eskinazi during a morning session in which Gareth Batty cycled through six bowlers as both sides tried to get a measure of each other. Then, with Middlesex steady on 131 for 2, Stuart Meaker happened.Bowling as quick as he has done this season, Meaker used the end of the 44th over sear one late into the shin Robson’s off stump before bruising the top of it with his very next delivery, to Paul Stirling. The hat-trick ball, at the start of the 46th, was kept out by John Simpson, who then edged the final ball of the over through a recently vacated third slip.That Meaker was able to concentrate on being the X-Factor bowler, when he might have been required to do some donkey work in the absence of Tom Curran, spoke volumes of those around him. Rikki Clarke’s two wickets – Adam Voges trapped lbw for 40 and James Franklin caught in the cordon – came in frugal spells, eventually seeing him go at an economy rate of under two across 16 overs.Patel’s right-arm seam, usually a sideshow to his classy left-handed batting, only gave away 22 from 11 overs, while the even share of four wickets from 28 overs between offspinners Gareth Batty and Amar Virdi came for just 40 and 38 runs, respectively. Backed up by some solid fielding, such as Scott Borthwick taking two excellent catches at second slip, Surrey could well have called this day their own, even if the last three Middlesex wickets added 84 runs.How things changed when boos scored the final over of the day, with Meaker and Borthwick refusing to run when edges flew past second slip and then through the keeper as Ollie Rayner got his favourite county surface to talk dirty to him. “That’s four runs we could have had,” raged a Surrey fan in the lower deck of the OCS stand. Surrey closed on 26 for 2, Meaker slightly bemused that the crowds who had early roared for him were now wailing against him for doing his job. It summed up an absorbing if slightly baffling day’s play.

CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat has hinted that the pan-African broadcaster may be the only viable option for the tournament’s broadcasting rights deal

Firdose Moonda13-Sep-20172:07

‘Having Priety on board has pumped up expectations’ – Haroon Lorgat

Cricket South Africa are hopeful the arrival of Preity Zinta as the final franchise owner in the T20 Global League will expedite the acquisition of a broadcaster for the event, which starts in less than two months. With the first match of the 57-game tournament scheduled for November 3, CSA are yet to confirm where fans, both locally and internationally, will be able to watch the competition. Haroon Lorgat, the board’s chief executive officer, however, is confident a deal will be sewn up soon.”That’s been a perennial question, and why would I do a deal before Preity Zinta comes on board?” Lorgat said, at the unveiling of Zinta as the owner of the Stellenbosch Kings. “Now we’re getting down to buttoning that down but let me not go into questions in detail.”Lorgat hinted that pan-African broadcaster SuperSport may be the only viable option. “In South Africa we’re in the situation where there’s one pretty strong broadcaster – you can guess as good as I can who we’re talking to,” he said. “But it’s a piece of work we’ve now got to do properly, but we wanted to do it at the right time. I could have sold these broadcast rights 12 months ago, and I can tell you what Preity has done in the last week has pumped up what we’re expecting ourselves. So we’re in no rush to go and do something and then say we shouldn’t have.”Pay-channel SuperSport have had the rights to broadcast South African cricket for several seasons. Although home matches are shared with the public broadcaster, the SABC, SuperSport do not face much competition. eTV is the other free-to-air service in Africa, who won the rights for cricket coverage once, in the early 2000s. A potential threat to SuperSport could be Kwese-ESPN, a newcomer on the scene who have launched across the African continent and have acquired rights to the NBA.For now, SuperSport remain in prime position to secure the T20 Global League rights and all that remains is to agree on a deal. The sticking point, however, appears to be price. In May, a spokesperson for the station told ESPNcricinfo that SuperSport understood they had the rights to all domestic twenty-over cricket played in South Africa. However, the deal was concluded before the T20 Global League existed.Since the T20 Global League is a “commercial venture”, as Lorgat put it in an interview in June, CSA were looking for a new rights deal. “We would look to see who would bid the price that we need to achieve in order make the model work,” Lorgat said at a press conference at the time. SuperSport have since confirmed they are in negotiations over this deal. No time frame has been stipulated for its conclusion.The absence of a confirmed broadcast partner, however, did not worry Zinta, who said she was certain a deal would be struck soon and even asked whether she would “get some brownie points” if she played some part in hiking it. Asked whether she considered her investment safe in a league which has not been able to demonstrate its value yet, Zinta pointed to the Big Bash, the Australian domestic T20 tournament, whose rights deal is expected to triple when the next contract is signed.