The incident in question happened on the opening day of the second Test when a racially offensive message was written on a fence inside the Bellerive Oval

Daniel Brettig in Hobart13-Nov-2016A spectator has been slapped with a three-year ban from attending any matches in Australia, and will also face court in Hobart after allegedly writing a racially offensive message on a fence inside the Bellerive Oval on day one of the Test.The message was reportedly directed at South Africa batsman Hashim Amla, and police have confirmed a 24-year old man from Longford in Tasmania’s north has been charged on summons.”Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania can confirm a crowd behaviour issue that occurred on day one of the Commonwealth Bank Test match against South Africa in Hobart,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.”Tasmania Police identified the person of interest through CCTV and witnesses in the area. Cricket Australia has issued the person with a three-year ban from any Cricket Australia match, nationally.”Cricket Australia takes a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour at any of our matches, which includes racial vilification.”Our message to any fan attending a match is that if you display anti-social behavior, you will be removed and risk being banned from any cricket match across Australia, as well as police action being taken.”Cricket South Africa also issued a statement on the matter: “We have been informed that the man has been formally charged and has been handed a three-year ban from the stadium.”From our point of view, it is disappointing and disconcerting because this is not the first act of racial vilification we have received while touring Australia over the years. It is unacceptable. There is absolutely no place for racial stereotyping and such offensive acts in society, let alone in sport.”We thank Cricket Australia and the authorities for dealing with the matter in a swift, professional and stern way and for carrying out the full might of the law.”

Habib Bank Limited struck back with four quick wickets, but Salman Butt’s 20th first-class ton ensured Water and Power Development Authority were marginally ahead on Day 2

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Salman Butt struck 18 fours in his 234-ball knock•AFP

Salman Butt’s 20th first-class century, his third of the season, helped drive Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) into the lead, but Habib Bank Limited (HBL) hit back with three late strikes including that of Butt for 125. WAPDA ended day two on 244 for 5, ahead by just eight runs, at the National Stadium in Karachi. Kamran Akmal (23 not out) and Khalid Usman (7 not out) were at the crease.Resuming on 23 without loss, Butt and Adnan Raees put together 162 for the first wicket to lay a solid platform, before left-arm seamer Usman Khan struck in the 58th over. Raees pushed at a delivery away from the body and was pouched by Imran Farhat at first slip. His 170-ball vigil fetched him 50.HBL struck almost immediately after when they had Mohammad Saad run-out for 5. He was more than halfway down the pitch when he was sent back as Amad Butt’s throw to the keeper’s end resulted in his downfall. Butt and Aamer Sajjad then held fort for 14.2 overs in which they added 27 before Sajjad’s was out caught behind.Sixteen deliveries later, Butt was involved in a second run-out; this time he was the victim as an attempt to pinch a run to cover resulted in him being caught short of the crease at the non-striker’s end. WAPDA had slipped from 162 without loss to 205 for 4. Then, shortly before stumps, HBL had another when Zahir Mansoor was bowled by Amad Butt.Mohammad Asif was the star on the opening day; his four-wicket haul justifying Butt’s decision to bowl first as HBL were bundled out for 236. Asif was complemented by Mohammad Irfan, who took three wickets.There will be no play on Monday, which has been announced as rest day because or Rabi-ul-Awal. Play will resume on Tuesday.

Peter Kippax, who played for the county as a legspinner in the early 1960s, has died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, aged 76

David Hopps18-Jan-2017Peter Kippax, who played for Yorkshire as a legspinner in the early 1960s and became an instantly recognisable figure in cricket circles in the north of England, has died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s, aged 76.Kippax only played five first-class games but he was notable for the fact that the last two were 25 years apart: after making his final appearance for Yorkshire against the Pakistan tourists in 1962, he reappeared for MCC against his former county at the Scarborough Festival in 1987 – an opportunity he cherished.Legspin was an unfashionable occupation in Yorkshire, and the presence of England spinners such as Raymond Illingworth and Don Wilson further limited his opportunities, but he went on to enjoy a long career in Minor Counties cricket with Durham and Northumberland, as well as in league cricket in Yorkshire and the north-west. He also coached for many years in Yorkshire cricket circles and was respected as an innovative thinker.He founded Kippax Bats in 1976 and was a popular, effervescent figure around the county. The business, now based in Methley, is run by his son Chris and is one of a dwindling band of companies to grow its own English willow.

The Australian allrounder takes over the role from M Vijay, who was appointed captain midway through the last season

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-20170:51

Quick Facts – Maxwell to be Kings XI Punjab’s 10th IPL captain

Glenn Maxwell has been named Kings XI Punjab captain for the tenth season of the IPL, which starts on April 5. The Australian allrounder takes over the role from M Vijay, who was appointed captain midway through the last season. Kings XI had dropped David Miller as captain in favour of Vijay after the side had lost five of their first six games in 2016.The move did not stop Kings XI from finishing last for the second successive season. Maxwell has never captained in the 338 matches he has played across formats and has been picked for the role ahead of Eoin Morgan, who led England to the World T20 final in 2016, and Darren Sammy, who captained West Indies to two T20 World Cup titles.Maxwell has had an underwhelming last two seasons in the IPL, managing 324 runs in 22 matches with only two fifties. In 2014, though, he had played a pivotal role – racking up 552 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 187.75 – in Kings XI’s run to their maiden final.In addition to a new captain, Kings XI will have a new second home this season, with Indore’s Holkar Stadium set to host three matches: on April 8 (v Rising Pune Supergiant), April 10 (v Royal Challengers Bangalore) and April 20 (v Mumbai Indians). The Punjab Cricket Association stadium in Mohali will stage the rest of Kings XI’s home matches.

Joe Root believes it is “important” that cricket in England returns, in part at least, to free-to-air broadcasters.

George Dobell at Headingley29-Mar-2017Joe Root believes it is “important” that cricket in England returns, in part at least, to free-to-air broadcasters.Root, the new England Test captain, described himself as “very fortunate” to grow up in an era before cricket went behind a paywall. And he feels another generation of supporters can be inspired, just as he was, if some cricket can once again be broadcast free to air.”I think it would be great to have it on terrestrial telly,” Root said. “The more people we can get watching the game can only be good for it.”I was very fortunate to be able to turn on Channel 4 in the morning and watch the cricket. There was the Cricket Show on before that. Then I would go down and watch Dad play at the club in the afternoon. The more opportunities we can give to kids – even if it is highlights packages – the better.”Root’s comments come in light of Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, conceding that he would like some of the new-team T20 tournament – due to begin in 2020 – to be shown free to air. While the game in England and Wales has earned unprecedented wealth over the last decade, it has come at a cost. The relevance of the sport has diminished sharply, with recent research suggesting only two percent of children in England and Wales thought of it as their favourite sport. Another survey suggested more children recognised a wrestler than Alastair Cook, the England Test captain at the time.Clearly, the thinking at the ECB has now changed. And while current plans suggest that no more than eight of the new-team matches will be broadcast free to air, and Root was keen to praise the service provided by the ECB’s current broadcast partners, he concluded “you can’t beat the fact that it is going to be available for everyone”.”The coverage we currently get is fantastic,” Root said. “Sky have done a great job in the way they have gone about it. And if you watch what BT have done, they have been very good at doing things slightly differently but they have been entertaining as well. They continue to make it interesting to viewers.”But you can’t beat the fact that it is going to be available to everyone and not just those who are subscribing. It would be great to get more and more viewers and people watching the game.”It doesn’t need to be exclusive. But making sure people have access to cricket on a broad spectrum is important.”Root’s sentiments were echoed by James Anderson. “I think it would be good for the game,” he said. “Having seen the effect that the Big Bash has had in Australia being on free to air, I think that has certainly drummed up more interest in the game.”Joe Root and James Anderson were speaking on behalf of BRUT Sport Style, the new fragrance from men’s grooming brand BRUT

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma was left visibly frustrated after a contentious decision to not call a wide off the third ball of the final over in Mumbai’s chase when 11 were needed to win

Arun Venugopal in Mumbai 25-Apr-20173:17

Hogg: It was a great decision by the umpire

Mumbai Indians needed 17 runs off the last over against Rising Pune Supergiant to complete their seventh straight win in IPL 2017, but their pursuit received a jolt on the first ball as Hardik Pandya holed out to deep extra cover. Their captain Rohit Sharma, though, had piloted Mumbai’s chase up to that point and was intent on seeing things through. With one almighty swing at Jaydev Unadkat’s slower ball, he brought the equation down to 11 off four balls.

Malinga opts for rest

After Lasith Malinga missed his second game in a row, against Rising Pune Supergiant, it has emerged he has taken a break to “work something out” with his bowling according to team-mate Harbhajan Singh.
“It was his call. He felt that he needed some break, he needed to work something out for his own bowling, which is fine,” Harbhajan said. “You need to respect him and give him his space. I am sure when he is going to come back, he is going to break a couple of people’s ankles. We can afford to give rest because we are sitting pretty. We don’t want to take things for granted, but we know that when it is required the most Mali will be right up there with what he does best.”
Earlier in the evening, Harbhajan himself had achieved a personal milestone of 200 T20 wickets and said he was happy to be playing for the same IPL franchise for a decade.
“It’s nice to be taking those 200-odd wickets and still going strong and getting younger by the day by training,” he said. “I am very happy to be playing for Mumbai Indians all these years. You need a lot of time to settle into different teams, different environments. Till the time I am playing, I see myself playing for Mumbai Indians.”

Unadkat’s next delivery was going to be another slower one, but having seen Rohit shuffle across the stumps, he pushed it wide. Rohit, on the other hand, realised that the ball was veering away from the guideline for wide deliveries, and left it alone. However, when umpire S Ravi didn’t call it a wide, Rohit shrugged in disbelief, and remonstrated with Ravi even as the square-leg umpire A Nand Kishore intervened. With 11 needed off three balls now, Rohit miscued a slog and was caught-and-bowled for a 39-ball 58, and eventually Mumbai went down by three runs.In the post-match media interaction, Harbhajan Singh and Ajinkya Rahane, representing Mumbai and Rising Pune respectively, had contrasting views on the legality of the contentious delivery. Neither player, however, felt Rohit’s animated conversation with the umpire was a serious transgression.”I think it was the right call,” Rahane said. “Because, as a batsman when you move [across the stumps], that area outside [the off stump] goes to the bowler. Rohit’s behaviour at that point was natural. As a captain, as a player, when the game is so close, it comes automatically; nobody does it deliberately. I don’t think there was anything wrong with his behaviour, but the umpire’s call was right too, for us.”It happens on the field and remains on the field. In this format, in close games, this will happen in the future as well. You should respect the umpire’s decision as well as whatever Rohit did that was completely natural.”Harbhajan also said Rohit was only checking with the umpire what the rule was. “He didn’t shout at the umpire or ask why it wasn’t given a wide,” he said. “He just wanted to know where he should stand for the wide to be called and he was told that the amount he moves is the amount of margin the bowler gets.”While Harbhajan felt the ball was fairly wide off the guideline, he said the umpire’s decision had to be respected. “I don’t really know if it was actually a wide ball or not,” he said. “I feel if both the legs of the batsmen move across the stumps, then the bowler should get the [benefit of the] margin. But, if you see, only one leg of the batsman went across, so I feel it should have been a wide. But, in the end, whatever is the umpire’s decision we have to move on with it.”Harbhajan, though, didn’t agree with the suggestion that the argument over the wide had led to a loss of momentum for Mumbai.”I don’t think momentum was lost, because Rohit was hitting the ball nicely, but [it was] unfortunate that he ended up hitting the [next] ball straight up in the air,” he said. “Cricket is a game where anything is possible. Just before that he hit a big six and a similar sort of ball went up and he got out. At that point all you need to do as a batsman was see the ball and hit the ball, and Rohit was batting on 50-odd.”While Harbhajan admitted that the penultimate over, where Ben Stokes conceded only seven runs, was crucial, Rahane revealed the thinking behind giving Unadkat the ball in the last over. He said Unadkat was preferred to Shardul Thakur because of his relatively slower pace.”I think after the 19th over when [Steven] Smith, Mahi bhai [MS Dhoni] and I were discussing, we talked about bowling Shardul or Jaydev,” Rahane said. “But we opted to bowl Jaydev because Shardul has quite a bit of pace, and we wanted to take the pace off and not give the batsmen any in the last over.”JD’s pace comparatively is slower than Shardul and his slower ball could be more effective as the wicket was slow. We didn’t want to give them any pace because Rohit was already set. One side [of the ground] was very short, so that was the plan for the last over.”The dismissals of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya were also a result of smart thinking and understanding of angles. Rising Pune had three fielders in the V for Pollard – a long-off almost right behind the bowler in addition to a conventional long-off and long-on – and as many fielders on the bigger off-side boundary for Pandya.”We knew Pollard doesn’t play the lap sweep, so we wanted to keep two fielders straight – one right on the sightscreen and one slightly wider,” Rahane said. “That worked for us. For Hardik, he likes to play over covers and the boundaries were bigger too, so that’s why we brought square leg in and had three fielders on the line on the offside.”

Conor McKerr picked up a maiden five-wicket haul in just his second first-class match but his Derbyshire side ended the first day only even against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2017
ScorecardRob Newton’s half-century kept Northamptonshire above water•Getty Images

Conor McKerr picked up a maiden five-wicket haul in just his second first-class match but his Derbyshire side ended the first day only even against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.McKerr, the 19-year-old on loan from Surrey, took 5 for 87 as Derbyshire bowled Northamptonshire out for just 218 before Northants produced a marginally better display with the ball and, through Ben Sanderson and Nathan Buck, reduced the visitors to 108 for 6 before Alex Hughes battled away with an unbeaten half-century to seer his side to the close on 153 for 6, trailing by 65.Derbyshire had suffered a worrying early blow when Luis Reece left the field in the morning session complaining of breathlessness. He was taken to hospital and is being kept overnight at Kettering General.Sanderson struck with the first ball of the Derbyshire reply, trapping makeshift opening Jeevan Mendis lbw. His second spell produced an edge from Gary Wilson that was taken at the second attempt by stand-in wicketkeeper Ben Duckett, and one that came back in to fix Daryn Smit lbw for 4, continuing the South African’s poor form.In between there were poor strokes from Billy Godleman driving loosely and presenting an edge to Alex Wakely at second slip off Rory Kleinvelt, and Shiv Thakor, who made a quick 45 including seven boundaries before flashing outside his off stump and getting a thin edge to Duckett.Thakor’s wicket was the first of the game for Buck, who followed up by winning an lbw verdict against Wayne Madsen, another South African out of touch. But a stand of 43 between Alex Hughes – who went past fifty in 83 balls with five fours – and Tom Taylor, who ate up 48 balls for his 7 not out, battled Derbyshire back into the game.Northants had got themselves back on top, despite having little to play with after a batting effort lacking in discipline to occupy the crease on a green-tinged wicket but not one offering excessive seam movement.Derbyshire arrived buoyed by a near-miss at Trent Bridge last week and, with McKerr to add an edge to their attack, hurried Northants away from 134 for 3 when Rob Newton and Duckett were going very well in a stand of 78 for the fourth wicket.Newton played with fluency, driving confidently and pulling Hughes to the midwicket boundary. A well-timed off-side push brought him a fourth Championship fifty of the summer in 83 balls with seven fours. Only later in the day did his 67 realise its true value.Duckett, returning from England Lions duty, also looked full of confidence and struck two perfect straight drives, then took further boundaries with flourishing strokes through extra-cover off Tony Palladino to reach 36.But it was Palladino who found the breakthrough to begin the collapse. Duckett dragged a cover drive into his stumps and Newton followed three overs later to the same bowler, trying to punch off the back foot and edging to wicketkeeper Smit. Palladino also removed Buck who dabbed at a ball just outside off and got an edge into his stumps.Before Buck’s wicket, McKerr – who removed Wakely and Rob Keogh before lunch – returned to have Josh Cobb splendidly held in the gully by Alex Hughes for a six-ball duck, driving far too loosely outside his off stump, and picked up a fourth wicket with Sanderson held in the gully.The most galling dismissal of the innings was that of Chesney Hughes, playing against his former county. Trying to pull a long hop from part-time offspinner Madsen, he got a miserable top-edge to extra-cover.Kleinveldt lifted two sixes over point and a third over midwicket – all to the short boundary – as Northants limped to a first batting point. Kleinveldt was last man out miscuing a pull that was taken by Smit to hand McKerr a first five-wicket haul.

Chamara Kapugedara has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy with an injury to his right knee, which was sustained during training on Wednesday

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jun-2017Sri Lanka batsman Chamara Kapugedera has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy with an injury to his right knee, which was sustained during training on Wednesday. He has been replaced with opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka, who was on stand-by in England.”Kapugedara [had] a heavy pounding on the right knee when he landed on it awkwardly during a fielding drill this morning, and radiographic investigation has revealed a meniscal tear coupled with an acute tendon injury,” a board release said. “Tournament and SLC Medical experts have recommended a supervised convalescence of two weeks, followed by a review of the injury.”Though Gunathilaka, who is likely to play the match against India on Thursday, is officially replacing Kapugedara, he will effectively be taking the place of Upul Tharanga at the top of the order. Kapugedara’s middle order position, meanwhile, will be assumed by Angelo Mathews, who is set to play his first ODI since August last year.Kapugedara was out first ball in Sri Lanka’s tournament opener against South Africa, but had been in some form in the approach to the tournament.

Justice RM Lodha was critical of the Indian board and the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators in the tardiness regarding the implementation of reforms suggested by his committee

Arun Venugopal29-Jun-2017Justice RM Lodha, the architect of the Lodha Committee recommendations, has expressed dismay at the tardiness of the BCCI and the Committee of Administrators (CoA) in implementing the sweeping structural reforms approved by the Supreme Court nearly a year ago.While Lodha, a former Chief Justice of India, was irked by the BCCI’s defiance, he was also critical of the CoA for not being proactive enough.”It’s unfortunate, actually, [that] nothing has been done,” Lodha told ESPNcricinfo. “Things have not moved, reforms have not been taken forward, so definitely it is not a good thing to happen. I have yet to see a body defy the Supreme Court’s order continuously. It is almost one year – 11 months are already over and the 12th month [is] going on and there is no sign of implementation of the highest court’s order. This is something that doesn’t happen at all.”Had [the CoA been proactive], by this time [the] Supreme Court order and reforms would have been in place. Unfortunately, I think, [they have involved] themselves in incidental matters instead of taking the reforms forward and implementing the order which was the main brief given to them.”Lodha also felt that the resignation of CoA member Ramachandra Guha, who alleged inaction on a number of issues, was possibly an indication that the committee did not function smoothly.”The CoA are doing their job,” he said. “[But] maybe they [spend] a lot of their time in these contractual and administrative matters, whereas the focus should have been the implementation of the court order because that was the primary task. Everything else was incidental. Maybe, as the reports have come, one of their members has resigned, so maybe the things aren’t going on smoothly. I don’t know; it’s all conjecture and surmise.”The fact of the matter is the BCCI actually continues to defy and not implement the Supreme Court order. The CoA, being a body appointed by the court, must have been actually proactive and the focus ought to have been implementation of the court order.”In the lead-up to the board’s special general meeting earlier this week, the CoA had been hopeful that the BCCI would adopt the Lodha reforms.After discussions, the committee had urged state associations to distil their objections of the Lodha recommendations to a few points which could then be run past the Supreme Court. The committee believed this might make the court more amenable to revisit these recommendations.However, the BCCI went ahead and formed a committee of their own to examine the areas of difficulty in the implementation process.Justice RM Lodha on the Committee of Administrators: “Unfortunately, I think, [they have involved] themselves in incidental matters instead of taking the reforms forward.”•AFP

Lodha was categorical that there was no scope for negotiation in an order delivered by the highest court in the land. “After the Supreme Court’s judgement what do you negotiate?” he asked with a laugh. “You can’t bargain on the court’s order. To overrule the Supreme Court’s judgement, no authority can do that. The only authority that can change it [the order] is the Supreme Court itself, no-one else.”The Supreme Court’s judgement is there, it is there. And, it has been passed after hearing BCCI at quite some length. I don’t fathom any reason. I just can’t figure out what should be negotiated. A Supreme Court judgement is non-negotiable.”According to Lodha, there was no ambiguity in the Supreme Court’s position since it passed the order in July 2016. “There is no history of order passed by the Supreme Court staying the implementation of the judgement,” he said. “Rather, the orders subsequent thereto have been to implement the order. The cricket board and the state associations will continue to put obstructions, but that should not hamper the implementation of the highest court’s order.”People who know the procedure of the court know how the Supreme Court actually deals with the matter after the final judgement is passed. There is a procedure for [filing a] review petition. The other procedure is of curative petition, that’s all. Both processes have been pursued [by the BCCI] and pursued unsuccessfully.”There have been no impediments from the court’s side. As a matter of fact, there is no order; the judgement of July 18 stands as it is. It’s as simple as that: it has to be implemented because Supreme Court has not modified or reviewed its order.”The BCCI SGM was attended by veteran administrators N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah despite their being ineligible to be office bearers on more than one count according to the Lodha guidelines. When asked about Srinivasan’s eligibility, CoA chairman Vinod Rai had said his committee was not mandated by the Supreme Court to “sit in judgement on people’s qualification or disqualification.”Lodha, however, said the eligibility was clearly specified in the court’s order. On whether the CoA could have taken a call on the matter themselves, he said: “Look, our report is there. A person is disqualified if he has attained the age of 70 years. This has got the seal of the approval from the Supreme Court. One should always keep in mind [that] what cannot be done directly cannot be done or achieved indirectly. Ultimately, it is a committee of administrators appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the affairs.”Still, with the Supreme Court hearing the matter on July 14, Lodha was optimistic the reforms would be implemented. “The court order has to be implemented. There may be some delay that is happening, of course,” he said. “But, I am sure it will be taken to its logical conclusion and our efforts and hardwork will not go waste.”