Dwayne Leverock, the burly left-arm spinner that flew to fame during the 2007 World Cup, has come out of international retirement to join Bermuda’s squad for the Intercontinental Shield game against UAE next month

Cricinfo staff20-Jun-2010Dwayne Leverock, the burly left-arm spinner that flew to fame during the 2007 World Cup, has come out of international retirement to join Bermuda’s squad for the Intercontinental Shield game against UAE next month.Leverock, 38, became an one of the few positive icons from a maligned tournament in the Caribbean when he hurled his generous frame at slip to take a stunning one-handed catch and dismiss Indian batsman Robin Uthappa.After Bermuda failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup in Asia during qualifiers in South Africa last year, Leverock announced his international retirement but stayed within the game by captaining club side Southampton Rangers. Now he is a surprise inclusion in the 25-strong squad that Bermuda national coach David Moore says he wants to form the basis of his team for the next year.”He’s made himself available,” said Moore. “He approached me about being involved. He told me that he was interested in being part of the programme and that’s where we are at the moment. We’ll just see how he goes, how he trains, and so on, but it’s good to have him back in the squad, although the competition is quite stiff from the likes of Rodney Trott and Joshua Gilbert.”The squad will be trimmed to 15 players for the four-day Intercontinental Shield match against UAE which starts on July 5.

Dale Steyn and Kemar Roach were fined 100% and 50% of their match fees respectively after being found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct during the third Test between West Indies and South Africa in Barbados

Cricinfo staff01-Jul-2010Dale Steyn and Kemar Roach have been fined 100% and 50% of their match fees respectively after being found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct in separate incidents during the third Test between West Indies and South Africa.Steyn pleaded guilty to spitting in the direction of West Indies’ fielder Sulieman Benn, and was found to have committed a Level 2 breach of clause 2.2.11 of the ICC code of conduct, which relates to conduct of a serious nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game.The incident took place when Steyn was dismissed in the 132nd over of South Africa’s first innings after having exchanged words with Benn in the previous few overs. As Steyn walked off, he appeared to spit in Benn’s direction.The match referee Jeff Crowe condemned Steyn’s actions even though they had been instigated by Benn. “Dale’s behaviour was entirely unacceptable and he knows that. The fact that he was provoked by Sulieman during his time at the crease helps to explain his actions but cannot excuse them,” Crowe said. “Test cricket can be an examination of one’s emotions as well as skill and players must learn to keep those emotions in check sufficiently to play within the spirit of the game. This was an ugly moment of which I’m sure Dale is not proud.”Benn escaped without a penalty, but his team-mate Roach was punished for a run-in with Jacques Kallis on the fourth day. Roach repeatedly walked up to and exchanged words with the batsman after testing him with a series of bouncers. The stand-off threatened to escalate and required the intervention of the umpires and West Indies fielders to come under control. Roach pleaded guilty to a Level 1 offence and was found to have breached clause 2.1.8 of the code which relates to conduct of a minor nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game.”Kemar was involved in an unpleasant altercation in the final overs of the Test where he had to be pulled away by one of his fellow players,” Crowe said. “This was after he received warnings from the umpires and so it could easily have been avoided. It was not acceptable behaviour for a player at this or any level of the game and it’s not the first time Kemar has been involved in such behavior.”Since this was Roach’s second breach of this clause within a 12-month period, the range of sanctions applicable was more severe – between 50% of his match fee up to a maximum of his full match fee and/or two suspension points, which amounts to one Test match or two ODIs.

Batsman Greg Todd has ended a six-year stint at Otago by switching to Auckland for the 2010-11 season

Cricinfo staff31-Jul-2010Batsman Greg Todd has ended a six-year stint with Otago by switching to Auckland for the 2010-11 season. Todd was a fixture in Otago’s first-class side last season but played only three one-day matches and was not part of the Twenty20 outfit.In six seasons with Otago Todd played 45 first-class games scoring 2774 runs with four centuries and an average of 40.2, 52 one-day fixtures for 1238 runs at 30.19 and 17 Twenty20 matches for 341 runs at 28.41.”I have thoroughly enjoyed my six years at Otago,” Todd said. “There are memories I will have for a lifetime and leave Otago with no regrets. But life moves on and I’m really looking forward to my next challenge at Auckland to further my game.”Otago coach Mike Hesson saluted Todd’s grit and fighting spirit. “Greg has been an excellent servant of Otago Cricket during the past six years and has been an important part in the side’s successes,” Hesson said. “When Greg arrived in Otago his previous first-class experience had been as a bowler who batted, through hard work and skill Greg has turned himself into a quality first-class batsman with an excellent record for Otago.”Todd, 28, will add experience to an Auckland side who are missing several seasoned players such as Richard Jones, Reece Young and Scott Styris this season.

Lance Klusener, the former South African allrounder, could be appointed Bangladesh’s bowling coach, filling the vacancy that arose because Champaka Ramanayake quit the job due to illness

Cricinfo staff08-Aug-2010Lance Klusener, the former South African allrounder, could be appointed Bangladesh’s bowling coach, filling the vacancy that arose because Champaka Ramanayake, a former Sri Lankan fast bowler, quit the job due to illness. If Klusener is appointed, it will be his first international coaching job after having completed a level-three coaching course at Cricket South Africa’s High Performance Centre in Pretoria.”I’m in negotiations with them [Bangladesh Cricket Board], it’s not finalised yet,” Klusener told Cricinfo. “There are a couple of things that need clarification, I hope to have it finalised in the next week.”The reported that the Bangladesh board had received seven applications for the role bowling coach but Klusener was reportedly the leading candidate. It also said the BCB was looking for a fielding coach as well, after not extending Mohammad Salahuddin’s tenure, and that Julien Fountain, from England, was a likely candidate.The Bangladesh team is presently coached by Australian Jamie Siddons and the board is looking to strengthen the support staff ahead of the 2011 World Cup, which Bangladesh is co-hosting with India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh’s bowling has also been a problem area in 2010 with the team conceding totals in excess of six runs per over regularly.

Wayamba Elevens and Eastern Cape Warriors, two sides that have taken different routes to qualification to the Champions League, begin the fun in the competitive group A on Saturday

The Preview by Sidharth Monga10-Sep-2010

Match facts

Saturday, September 11
Start time 1330 (1130 GMT)Mahela Jayawardene was unstoppable for Wayamba in the SLC Inter-provincial Twenty20 tournament•Manoj Ridimahaliyadda

Big Picture

The Champions League, for some reason, has grouped all the champion sides in one group, and the runners-up in another. The best sides from India, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand make up Group A, while Guyana are the only champion team in Group B. On the face of it, Group A should produce cricket of a higher quality. Wayamba Elevens and Eastern Cape Warriors begin the fun in this competitive group on Saturday.The two sides have taken different routes to qualification. Wayamba are easily the most dominant T20 side in Sri Lanka, with a wealth of talent in Mahela Jayawardene, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Ajantha Mendis and Chanaka Welegedara. After having bossed the league stages of the SLC Inter-provincial Twenty20, they thrashed Ruhuna by a whopping 95 runs in the final. Jayawardene alone scored 91, which was only 22 less than the opposition’s total.Warriors, on the other hand, were the last of the six franchises in South Africa to win any trophy, despite the occasional presence of big players like Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Ashwell Prince, Makhaya Ntini, Nicky Boje and Rusty Theron. When they did win one, though, there was no stopping them. Less than two months after they won their first 40-over title, they sealed the domestic 20-over crown too. Six months later, they are vying for the big one.

Watch out for…

Mark Boucher struck a hurricane eight-ball 27 in the domestic final against the Lions at the same venue. Unlike Kallis, he has not been poached by their IPL side, Royal Challengers Bangalore, for this Champions League.Ajantha Mendis might not be the mystery he was in 2008, but he is still a terror for batsmen who haven’t faced him before. Especially if those batsmen are not traditionally good against spin.

Key contests

Mahela Jayawardene v Makhaya Ntini Jayawardene is relishing his new role of opening the innings, both in Twenty20s and ODIs. He has scored centuries in the World Twenty20 and the IPL, and missed out on one in the Sri Lankan domestic final. Ntini, no longer in favour for the national side, should be more than a handful in home conditions, setting up a good contest at the top of the innings.

Stats and trivia

• Jeevantha Kalatunga’s unbeaten 62-ball 104 against Kandurata is the highest individual Twenty20 score in Sri Lanka, and the fastest century in the country.
• Nicky Boje has the joint-highest number of lbw dismissals, 13 in a career tally of 57, to his credit in all Twenty20 matches. Muttiah Muralitharan and Shahid Afridi, also on 13 lbws, have taken 83 and 88 Twenty20 wickets respectively

Quotes

“We have seen a lot of footage of them. But then again it’s Twent20 cricket. It’s about individuals turning up on the day and performing.”
Mahela Jayawardene says Wayamba have done their homework on the Warriors“We are one of the few teams that has played CLT20 before, and that experience will be to our benefit.”

The appeals of Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir against the provisional suspensions imposed on them by the ICC for alleged involvement in the spot-fixing controversy were heard in Dubai on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2010The appeals of Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir against the provisional suspensions imposed on them by the ICC for alleged involvement in the spot-fixing controversy were heard in Dubai on Saturday. The hearings, chaired by Michael Beloff, the chairman of the ICC’s code of conduct commission, will continue tomorrow when a verdict is expected. The proceedings were long and neither the players nor the ICC addressed the media. Fast bowler Mohammad Asif had also been provisionally suspended but he withdrew his appeal earlier this month.”The hearings went on all day,” Butt’s lawyer, Khalid Ranjha, told reporters after the eight-hour session. “It will continue tomorrow. I can’t say anything more about the discussions today.”The three players, prior to the suspensions, were charged with various offences under Article 2 of the ICC’s anti-corruption code. The suspensions came after the tabloid claimed to have exposed a scam in which deliberate, planned no-balls would be bowled by Amir and Asif during the Lord’s Test against England, with the involvement of Butt, who was then captain.The hearings will only concern themselves with the matter of the provisional suspensions and whether or not the ICC followed the correct procedures in taking that action. The matter of the players’ innocence or guilt and the actual charges against them will not be heard. Thus, even if the suspensions are lifted and the players allowed to return to cricket, a full hearing into the case will still take place later to determine their innocence or guilt in the matter.Butt is represented in Dubai by his lawyer Aftab Gul, a former Test cricketer, and Ranjha, a former law minister. Butt has spoken to the press, saying he is determined to prove his innocence and questioning the reliability of the sting conducted by . Amir, who has not made a statement throughout this time, said on departure that he hoped he could return to the side. He will be represented by Shahid Karim, the lawyer who defended Asif in a doping case in October 2006.

A round-up of the first day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Twenty20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2010Rajagopal Satish and Suresh Kumar ransacked 34 off the last 3.2 overs to see Tamil Nadu home with one ball to spare against Kerala at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday.S Anirudha appeared to have things under control as Tamil Nadu chased 132 to win, but he and Arun Karthik fell in quick succession, leaving Satish and Kumar needing just over 10 runs an over to win the game. Satish finished with 21 from 16 balls, with two fours and six, while Kumar made 16 off 10, with one four.Anirudha top scored with 59, but fell to left-arm spinner Padmanabhan Prasanth with 42 still needed off 5.4 overs. His innings contained three fours and three sixes, and came off 45 balls. Batting first after winning the toss, Kerala posted 131 for 4, with Robert Fernandez and Karimuttathu Rakesh sharing an unbroken 107-run partnership after Tamil Nadu’s opening bowlers had reduced Kerala to 24 for 4.Led by their bowlers, Hyderabad steamrolled Andhra Pradesh at the Gymkhana Ground by 90 runs.
After choosing to bat, Hyderabad racked up 148 for 6 in their 20 overs. Paramveer Singh led the way with a sparkling half-century – his 65 took just 41 balls, and contained five fours and two sixes.Andhra were never in the game after losing four wickets for no runs with the score on 17. Medium pacers Pagadala Naidu and Ashish Reddy took two wickets each, with Reddy missing out on a hat-trick after dismissing Manoj Sai and Venugopal Rao with consecutive balls in the fifth over. Alfred Absolem also pitched in with three wickets, as Andhra were bowled out for 58 in 12.5 overs. Absolem finished with 3 for 8, Naidu with 3 for 11, while Reddy took 2 for 11Robin Uthappa and Mayank Agarwal led Karnataka to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Goa at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Agarwal and Uthappa put on 89 in ten overs as Karnataka overhauled their target of 135 with 26 balls to spare. Agarwal remained 52 not out, with three fours and two sixes, while Uthappa smashed six fours and two sixes in his 30-ball 53.Goa chose to bat and got off to a decent start, the openers adding 43 in just under six overs. However, a succession of run-outs in the middle of the innings, two by Amit Verma and one by Manish Pandey, derailed Goa. From 82 for 2, they slipped to 93 for six.Only four Goa batsman even got into the twenties, as their side was bowled out for 134. Former India spinner, Sunil Joshi, was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 for 18 from his four overs.

Kumar Sangakkara has said he was not surprised by the way in which West Indies dominated the drawn first Test in Galle but added the difference in bowling between the teams was an “eye-opener”

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Galle19-Nov-2010Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, has said he was not surprised by the way in which West Indies dominated the drawn first Test in Galle but added the difference in bowling between the teams was an “eye-opener”. West Indies, led by Chris Gayle’s 333, piled up 580 before their bowlers struck to help enforce a follow-on on the hosts. Sri Lanka managed to save the Test but West Indies were also held back by the weather on the last three days.”We were pretty wary about what they could do. The only thing was our attitude probably in the first two sessions which was a bit wanting,” Sangakkara said of his team’s bowling on the opening day. “The first six overs were probably okay although we didn’t make the batsmen play too much. But after that I thought the lines and the lengths we bowled on this track were not good enough for us to put any pressure on them either to get wickets or to cut down on the runs. Chris (Gayle) took a lot of
advantage from that and he batted magnificently.””We’ve got understand that it is a good eye opener for us. It’s an example to us the way West Indies were disciplined in their bowling. I thought the attitude of the West Indian bowlers the way they went about their job was very impressive.”Sangakkara admitted Sri Lanka could have put in a better performance with the bat in the first innings where no batsman reached a century even though four managed to get past fifty. “If one batsman can get a hundred, usually a side ends up making 400. Those are the par scores for Test cricket on these tracks and unfortunately we fell about 100 runs short on our first innings at least,” he said.”With the bowling attack we had unfortunately we didn’t have the conditions in our favour apart from the first six overs where there was a little bit of swing. The first two days were the best days for batting and West Indies took maximum advantage of that.”The star for Sri Lanka on the final day was opener Tharanga Paranavitana, who made 95 in nearly three hours, and steered Sri Lanka to safety. “It was a fantastic effort from him,” Sangakkara said. “He quickly adjusted from the first innings and he showed us what a real old -style opener he is in Test cricket to grind away at the opposition and score runs.”The second Test gets underway on November 23 in Colombo.

Round-up of the second day of the sixth round of Division One of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2010Water and Power Development Authority clawed their way back into a low-scoring scrap against Rawalpindi dominated by the seamers at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Resuming their first innings at 28 for 5, 221 runs behind the home side’s effort, WAPDA found their saviours in Sohaib Maqsood and Ahmed Said. The pair arrested the overnight slide with a 109-run stand, Maqsood top-scoring with 76 and Said contributing 57, before seamer Sadaf Hussain added to his three overnight scalps. Sadaf dismissed both batsmen and finished with 6 for 51 while Rizwan Akbar accounted for the remaining four wickets, giving Rawalpindi a 26-run lead. Naved-ul-Hasan, who had wreaked havoc on the opening day, inflicted early damage again, reducing Rawalpindi to 16 for 3 before Jamal Anwar showed some defiance. A late wicket to Nawaz Sardar, after Zahid Mansoor was forced to retire hurt, left the game interestingly poised at stumps.Shahid Yousuf’s sixth first-class hundred, and steady support from the rest of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited line-up, propelled their side to an imposing 389-run first-innings lead at the National Stadium in Karachi. Resuming at 192 for 2, ZTBL had an early setback when Zohaib Khan departed after adding just four to his overnight 52. The wicket did little to stall the visitors’ progress, though, as Haris Sohail combined with Shahid to add 159 runs. Shahid struck 18 fours and two sixes in his 141, and though the hosts managed to pick up three quick wickets following the partnership, Imran Nazir’s quickfire 53 ensured there was no respite. ZTBL declared at 453 for 7, leaving Karachi Blues over two days to survive, but the openers held up well to take their side to stumps at 54 for 0.A late collapse on the second day weakened Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited‘s dominance of Faisalabad at the Iqbal Stadium. Replying to the hosts’ score of 220, SNGPL were pegged back by the early loss of their openers before being guided by captain Azhar Shafiq’s 90 and his 143-run stand with Umar Akmal. Azhar struck 11 fours in his innings, and Umar played in his characteristic style, getting 54 of his 67 runs through boundaries. Things unraveled, however, once they were separated with seamer Ahmed Hayat running through the lower middle-order to finish with five wickets as SNGPL were reduced to 218 for 8. Khurran Shehzad batted through the collapse and will hope to build a first-innings advantage on the third day.It was another day to remember for Habib Bank Limited‘s former Pakistan stars, as they surged to a 195-run first-innings lead with two wickets in hand against Islamabad at the Diamond Club Ground. Saleem Elahi was the brightest star of the day, scoring a sparkling 97 off 143 balls, while Azhar Mahmood, who had picked up five wickets on the first day, scored a half-century to add to Islamabad’s torment. Khaqan Arsal and Aftab Alam also contributed half-centuries as Islamabad toiled for impact. Fakhar Hussain, who finished the day with 4 for 84, stood out in an otherwise unimpressive bowling effort.Middle-order batsman Majid Jahangir’s fifth first-class century helped Sialkot arrest a top-order collapse to launch a promising response after their bowlers had dismissed National Bank of Pakistan for 358 at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Seamer Mohammad Talha was at his incisive best once again, striking three early blows to reduce the hosts to 28 for 3 before Jahangir began his resistance. Mohammad Ayub helped him steady the innings, contributing 59 to a 132-run stand. Mohammad Zahid made a couple of late breaches to rock Sialkot again, but Jahangir survived the spell to finish on 110 not out.Fast-bowler Abdur Rauf, who has played three Tests for Pakistan, starred with a six-wicket haul as Multan dismissed Pakistan International Airlines for 258, before losing three early second-innings wickets at the Gymkhana Ground in Okara. PIA’s progress was guided by captain and opener Kamran Sajid, aided by supporting acts from Shoaib Malik and Anop Santosh. Shoaib, eager to reclaim his spot in the Pakistan side, fell two short of fifty, while Santosh managed to score 59. Sajid was run-out six short of a ton, as Rauf ran through the lower order to leave the game in the balance. Najaf Shah then tilted things in PIA’s favour, striking two early blows while Sajid chipped in with another, leaving Multan stuttering at 27 for 3 by stumps.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between New Zealand and Pakistan in Wellington

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya and Siddarth Ravindran14-Jan-2011

Match facts

January 15-19
Start time 11.00 (2200 GMT)Misbah-ul-Haq has led from the front since he took over as Test captain•AFP

Big Picture

The wicket in Hamilton for the opening Test didn’t warrant a three-day match, but New Zealand made it one with their hapless batting in the second innings. The temporary relief provided by a Twenty20 series win, also marking an encouraging start to John Wright’s tenure as coach, was sullied by a spineless capitulation on a flattish pitch at Seddon Park. In what are expected to be tougher batting conditions in Wellington, with more swing and movement on offer for the fast bowlers, and where New Zealand were beaten by Pakistan early last year, an urgent recovery is the need of the hour for the hosts. The focus remains on the top order: Tim McIntosh is struggling and could well be replaced, Martin Guptill was given a torrid time by the left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman and the question remains of whether Brendon McCullum will shed some of his aggression in more testing conditions.As for Pakistan, this is an opportunity to win their first Test series in 11 attempts since 2006. And it would be a memorable one, for their inexperienced players have played a hand in setting it up. Rehman starred in an all-round performance, Asad Shafiq was part of what was, in the end, a match-winning stand, Adnan Akmal showed ability down the order, while Wahab Riaz and Tanvir Ahmed shone with the ball in each innings. Add to that the performance of their captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, who led from the front with a stoic half-century, and things seem to be falling into place for a team plagued by enough distractions off the field. The seamers, Umar Gul, Riaz and Ahmed, should derive more assistance from the Basin Reserve track. It could boil down to whether New Zealand can combat them more determinedly.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Pakistan: WDDLW
New Zealand: LLDDL

Watch out for…

Left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz was the quickest bowler in the first Test, regularly hitting speeds of around 145kph and causing problems for the batsmen with the angle from which he bowls. He was unlucky in the first innings in Hamilton, but took three crucial wickets in the second. On a more helpful surface in Wellington, New Zealand’s struggling batsmen will face a stern test.In the first innings in Hamilton – his first Test at home – Kane Williamson batted with an assurance that was lacking in many of his senior colleagues. The shot-selection against a relentlessly accurate Abdur Rehman, and his composure against the quicks bodes well for a fragile batting unit.

Pitch and conditions

The first Test was played on a slow-and-low track, something more likely to be seen in Pakistan than in New Zealand. Wellington is likely to be a more traditional New Zealand wicket, with plenty of sideways movement and also extra bounce to interest the quicks. Rain is forecast during the Test, though Saturday is expected to be a sunny day.

Team news

Pakistan are unlikely to tinker much with their combination after the big win in the first Test. That means Umar Akmal is likely to remain on the sidelines, and left-arm spinner Rehman should retain his place. One change they could consider is replacing Tanvir Ahmed with the quicker Sohail Tanvir.Pakistan (probable): 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 Abdur Rehman, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Tanvir Ahmed, 11 Wahab Riaz.Daniel Vettori has hinted that James Franklin could be included in place of opener Tim McIntosh, who failed in both innings in the first Test. He said that with Ryder cutting down on his bowling, and Kane Williamson also likely to bowl only a few overs on account of a seamers’ track in Wellington, Franklin’s inclusion will reduce the load on the main bowlers.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim McIntosh/James Franklin, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jesse Ryder, 6 Kane Williamson, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Reece Young (wk), 9 Tim Southee, 10 Brent Arnel, 11 Chris Martin.

Stats and trivia

• Chris Martin is seven short of becoming only the fourth New Zealand bowler to reach 200 Test wickets.
• Pakistan have lost only one Test series in 13 visits to New Zealand.
• Since 1990, Pakistan have won all three Tests they have played at Wellington, the best win-loss record for any visiting team at this venue.
• Since 1990, New Zealand have been dismissed for less than 200 on nine occasions against Pakistan, the most against any opposition. Their lowest score in home Tests in that period is 93, which also came against Pakistan.
• Daryl Tuffey’s 30 wickets against Pakistan is the highest for a New Zealand bowler against one opposition in home Tests since 2000. He is followed by Chris Martin who has 26 wickets in seven home Tests against Pakistan.

Quotes

“We understand it was a poor performance but if we get too down in the dumps then we’re not going to rectify it here.”

“I bowl 140kph-plus and Wahab (Riaz) is bowling 145kph-plus, so I think at the moment we are a bit faster.”