Posts
Showing posts with label December. Show all posts
Showing posts with label December. Show all posts
Mark Benson is planning to retire from umpiring with immediate effect following his sudden withdrawal from the Adelaide Test. Benson was upset over several incidents involving the Umpire Decision Review System on day one of the second Test between Australia and West Indies, one of which led to his original decision being overturned.
Benson twice ruled Shivnarine Chanderpaul not-out to caught-behind appeals on Friday, both of which were challenged by the Australians. The third umpire, Asad Rauf, upheld Benson's first ruling, prompting an angry response from the bowler, Doug Bollinger, and the Australian captain, Ricky Ponting. But it is the second video review, which resulted in Chanderpaul being ruled out for 62, that is understood to have most upset the English official. Hot Spot replays showed no evidence of the ball striking the outside edge of Chanderpaul's bat, however other camera angles provided Rauf with enough evidence to reverse Benson's original ruling.
Cricinfo has been told an irate Benson "ranted" to colleagues in the umpire's room after the first day's play about his dissatisfaction with the UDRS. He is believed to have said at the time that the new system "just makes (umpiring) harder", however ICC officials were remaining tight-lipped on the matter on Sunday.
David Morgan, the ICC president, told Cricinfo Benson was "poorly" and referred other questions to David Richardson, the ICC's general manager, and Vintcent van der Bijl, the umpire's manager. Chris Broad, the match referee who is presiding over the Adelaide Test, denied Benson's swift departure from Adelaide was the result of unhappiness over the UDRS. "There is absolutely no truth in that at all," Broad said. "The review system is new to everyone and you've got to get used to it. He was an advocate of the review system to help umpires out.
The contentious Umpire Decision Review System is set to be boosted in Australia with an additional two Hot Spot cameras to be used for the three-Test series involving Pakistan. Only two such cameras are in operation for the current Frank Worrell Trophy, limiting the impact of the technology, but Cricinfo understands that a further two will be shipped over from New Zealand later this month.
The two additional cameras, to be positioned square of the wicket, will provide the third umpire with a different perspective on edges behind the wicket and into the pads. They would have proved useful on Friday when the behind-the-bowler Hot Spot cameras failed to detect Shivnarine Chanderpaul's edge to Brad Haddin off the bowling of Shane Watson, which was originally ruled not out by on-field umpire Mark Benson but overturned by the third umpire Asad Rauf.
Standard replays showed the ball clearly deflecting off Chanderpaul's outside edge, however Hot Spot images were inconclusive on account of the bat's angle. A similar situation arose during the first Test at the Gabba, and both players and umpires will presumably be pleased to learn of the arrival of heat-seeking cameras square of the wicket.
Chris Gayle has been an outspoken critic of the UDRS, and Dwayne Bravo was hardly enthusiastic when asked his views on the system. "It's a tricky thing," Bravo said. "Sometimes it works for you and sometimes it works against you. We have to understand that it's part of the game now and we have to work with it and accept it. The umpires are still in charge of their decision, we have to respect that. It's something I'm not to keen speaking about because it's out of my way to comment on it."
Chanderpaul survived an earlier video challenge that left Doug Bollinger, the bowler, and his captain, Ricky Ponting, visibly upset. The West Indian batsman was ruled not out by Benson to a caught behind appeal that was later upheld by Rauf after replays showed no evidence of ball touching bat. "I thought it was out, so I went up," Bollinger said. "Basically that's all I can say. With the referral system that's the hand you get dealt. You've just got to turn around and keep bashing away, there's not much I can do.
"You've got to take the good with the bad. I'm not going to carry on about it. I'm just going to get on with the job. We didn't let it bother us too much, we just got on with it. It has its good and bad. I haven't had much to do with it, so I'm still getting used to it myself. We'll see how a couple more edges or whatever go."
Doug Bollinger has escaped with a reprimand after he was reported by the match referee Chris Broad for showing dissent at an umpire's decision. Bollinger was charged under level 1.3 of the ICC's code of conduct after he kicked the ground following an lbw decision going against him.
Bollinger has made no attempt to mask his displeasure at unfavourable umpiring calls in Adelaide and his frustration peaked with a violent kick when Asad Rauf turned down an lbw appeal against Brendan Nash. Replays suggested the ball would have hit the stumps after Nash padded up, but Australia had burned both their reviews during the morning, including one when Bollinger was convinced he had Adrian Barath caught behind. The offence carries a maximum punishment of 50% of the match fee, but Bollinger pleaded guilty during the hearing on Monday night and was let off with a reprimand by the match referee.
Prior to the match, Bollinger described himself as loud and obnoxious and he has certainly proved it, wearing his emotions on his sleeve during his second Test. His fast-bowling colleague Mitchell Johnson said Bollinger was a passionate character who was clearly thrilled to be playing for his country.
"He's pretty fiery I guess, as you can see," Johnson said. "He was a little bit frustrated at times there, he thought he had his man. Dougie's pretty excited about playing for Australia and he wants to do well. It's only his second game and he's pretty fired up. He's playing for his country [with] his hand on his heart and he's really going out there and playing tough cricket."
As Pakistan get set to announce the squad for the three-Test series against Australia later this afternoon, the name of Younis Khan, their former captain, is unlikely to be in it.
Younis took a temporary break from the game and captaincy following Pakistan's ODI series loss to New Zealand in Abu Dhabi last month, claiming that he had "lost command" over the side. The decision was the result of months of dissent within the side with Younis' leadership. At the time Younis said he would come back to Pakistan and play domestic cricket to get back into batting form, though he never set a date on his return. But since then, Younis has gone underground. He has not played any domestic cricket for his local side Habib Bank and has not been in touch with anyone, including the PCB or team management. Reports surfaced last week that he had picked up a foot injury during a fishing accident but they were rubbished by those close to him.
The silence prompted Ijaz Butt, chairman of the PCB, to hint in a press conference on Monday that Younis is unlikely to make the cut for Australia. "Younis should have played domestic matches to be a candidate for selection for the tour. However, a final decision in this regard will be taken after a meeting with the chief selector Iqbal Qasim," Butt said. Officials within the selection committee echo similar sentiments. As a result of not having played any domestic cricket or made clear his intentions, they say, it would defy logic for him to be selected.
Sources close to Younis say he will return to international cricket, but only after the Australia series. It isn't entirely clear whether he has played any kind of cricket since he asked for a break, but Younis has signed a contract with a club in Quetta - the Manan Memorial Gymkhana CC - to play there next season.
In his absence, it is likely Mohammad Yousuf will continue to lead the side. Yousuf is currently leading Pakistan in the Test series in New Zealand and was at the helm as Pakistan levelled the series in Wellington with a 141-run win, their first Test triumph in almost three years. But their batting has been particularly frail through the series, relying heavily on contributions from the Akmal brothers and Yousuf.
Younis, who averages over 50 from 63 Tests, has been a vital cog in Pakistan's middle order, at No.3; since he established himself in the side at that spot - at the start of Bob Woolmer's reign as coach in late 2004 - he averages nearly 60 from 35 Tests, with 11 centuries. On Pakistan's last tour to Australia, in 2004-05, he was their leading scorer in a 3-0 whitewash. He also had a fruitful - and enjoyable - stint with South Australia last season, scoring over 350 runs in four first-class matches at an average of over 50.
Pakistan cricketers will not feature in IPL 2010 as their board has failed to obtain their visas before the deadline for confirmation of participation, the league's commissioner, Lalit Modi, has said. The franchises will now have to look for replacements for the Pakistan players they had signed, he said.
"We have been informed by the PCB that they have not been able to obtain the visas as of now. So we are not able to extend the deadline," Modi told the Times Now channel. "Today is the absolute deadline for confirmation of Pakistani players [to take part in the IPL]. The exchange window [ends] the day after tomorrow.
"Unfortunately, the Pakistani players are out and they will not be allowed to take part in the next IPL because we are handicapped by the fact that the exchange window is the day after tomorrow. We are informing the teams that they now can go for the replacement of the Pakistani players." However officials in Pakistan are emphatic their side of the deal was done. "The players have applied for visas but the clearance hasn't come from the Indian side. The ball is not in our court," Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said on Monday.
Wasim Bari, the PCB's chief operating officer, told Cricinfo the board was in possession of all necessary NoCs and clearance letters from the Pakistan side but had not been given visas. "From our side everything was done and in order. Players had received invitation letters from the franchises as well," he said.
Pakistan are the reigning World Twenty20 champions, and several franchises had expressed their interest in signing on the country's cricketers. Five Pakistani players - Kamran Akmal, Misbah ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir - are already on contract with IPL teams.
Last week, it had seemed that they, and several of their team-mates, would be in next year's IPL after Pakistan's foreign ministry and interior ministry cleared them to play in the Indian league. That meant the PCB could issue the NOCs necessary for Pakistan's players to be eligible for the tournament, but the inability to obtain the visas in time meant their players will have to sit out a second successive IPL.
Pakistan's players were absent from IPL's second season, held earlier this year in South Africa, after their government did not allow them to travel to India - where the tournament was originally to be held - for security reasons. The decision came in the wake of the Mumbai attacks last year, after which relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated considerably. Eleven players from Pakistan had taken part in the first IPL, though after the Mumbai attacks, only four were retained by their franchises, though their contracts were suspended until further resolution. Razzaq was signed recently by Kolkata Knight Riders.
The PCB has been keen on getting their players involved once again after Ijaz Butt, the board chairman, raised the matter on a trip to India in October and said after that the relevant government authorities had also cleared Pakistan's players to play...
Pakistan has beaten New Zealand by 141 runs in the second test on day four at the Basin Reserve to level their three-match series one all.
Needing 405 for victory, New Zealand were dismissed for 263 during the middle session.
Middle-order batseman Ross Taylor top scored in the New Zealand second innings with 97, while Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Asif took five for 67 to end with a match analysis of nine for 107 and the man-of-the-match award, the New Zealand Herald reports.
New Zealand were done in by a paltry score of 99 in the first innings. From then on, it was an uphill task for the host team.
New Zealand won the first test in Napier by 32 runs; the final test starts in Napier on Friday.
Needing 405 for victory, New Zealand were dismissed for 263 during the middle session.
Middle-order batseman Ross Taylor top scored in the New Zealand second innings with 97, while Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Asif took five for 67 to end with a match analysis of nine for 107 and the man-of-the-match award, the New Zealand Herald reports.
New Zealand were done in by a paltry score of 99 in the first innings. From then on, it was an uphill task for the host team.
New Zealand won the first test in Napier by 32 runs; the final test starts in Napier on Friday.
England won the series when the fifth and final one-dayer against South Africa was called off due to persistent rain at Kingsmead on Friday.
The match was abandoned at 1700 local time (1500 GMT) without a ball being bowled.
It meant England secured the series 2-1, after the first match was also washed out, and became only the second country to win a bilateral one-day series in South Africa.
Australia also achieved series wins there in 1996-97 and 2001-02.
"The win is a big step forward for us and the team looks like it has the potential to work against most teams," England captain Andrew Strauss told a news conference.
"When you achieve wins like this it is a great spur to go forward as a side. There have been some very good one-day sides that have come to South Africa in the last 15 to 20 years and haven't won.
"It shows we are capable of beating good sides and we are now capable of beating them away from home as well," added Strauss.
The opening batsman did, however, sound a note of caution ahead of the first test in Centurion from Dec. 16-20.
"We are not going to get carried away with this victory," said Strauss. "We still have some very important business to take care of on this tour and the preparation for that starts almost immediately.
"It is a different format of the game and different characters are involved so to read too much into the test series from what has happened in the one-dayers would be wrong."
Counterpart Graeme Smith praised England after suffering his first home one-day international series defeat as skipper.
"To lose a home series is massively disappointing. England came here and managed to put a lot of their ideas into play," Smith said.
"England have played well and ultimately have deserved their series victory."
The match was abandoned at 1700 local time (1500 GMT) without a ball being bowled.
It meant England secured the series 2-1, after the first match was also washed out, and became only the second country to win a bilateral one-day series in South Africa.
Australia also achieved series wins there in 1996-97 and 2001-02.
"The win is a big step forward for us and the team looks like it has the potential to work against most teams," England captain Andrew Strauss told a news conference.
"When you achieve wins like this it is a great spur to go forward as a side. There have been some very good one-day sides that have come to South Africa in the last 15 to 20 years and haven't won.
"It shows we are capable of beating good sides and we are now capable of beating them away from home as well," added Strauss.
The opening batsman did, however, sound a note of caution ahead of the first test in Centurion from Dec. 16-20.
"We are not going to get carried away with this victory," said Strauss. "We still have some very important business to take care of on this tour and the preparation for that starts almost immediately.
"It is a different format of the game and different characters are involved so to read too much into the test series from what has happened in the one-dayers would be wrong."
Counterpart Graeme Smith praised England after suffering his first home one-day international series defeat as skipper.
"To lose a home series is massively disappointing. England came here and managed to put a lot of their ideas into play," Smith said.
"England have played well and ultimately have deserved their series victory."
India moved to the top of the test rankings on Sunday by completing a second straight innings victory over Sri Lanka.
India won by an innings and 24 runs to claim a 2-0 victory in a dominant performance across the three-test series.
"It took some sustained effort to become the No. 1 team in tests, but the really tough task starts now in having to maintain this position," India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.
"When we were pushed, the batsmen came up with some outstanding performances, and the bowler got wickets to put the opposition under pressure."
Resuming at 274-6, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 309 with India paceman Zaheer Khan claiming 5-72.
Sri Lanka made 393 in its first innings, and India responded with its highest ever test score of 726-9 declared.
Sri Lanka's hopes of averting an innings defeat Sunday were shattered as Khan struck three quick blows, beginning with the dismissal of skipper Kumar Sangakkara (137), who edged the third delivery of the day to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Sangakkara's dismissal exposed the tail and Khan quickly snared Rangana Herath (3) and Nuwan Kulasekara (19) to complete his five-wicket haul.
Offspinner Harbhajan Singh had Muttiah Muralitharan (14) caught behind to complete the victory.
Dhoni praised the performance of Virender Sehwag for his dominant knock of 293 and Khan's five-wicket burst.
"In this test, we were able to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen after putting up 700-plus runs on the board and it was nice to see Zaheer back in his bowling rhythm," he said.
Sehwag fell seven runs short of becoming the first batsman in test history to post three triple centuries, but he was Sunday adjudged the Man of the Match and also the Player of the Series.
Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara said he was aware of the challenge as Sri Lanka has not won a single test match on Indian soil.
"The Indians outperformed us in all departments and kept putting us under pressure. In this match, we won the toss and put almost 400 runs on the board, but then Sehwag came and took the game away from us," he said.
"We've got to put the test matches behind us now, and focus on the Twenty20 internationals and the limited-overs series."
The Twenty20 internationals will be played Dec. 9 and 12, while five one-day internationals will be played from Dec. 15-27.