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ScorecardA splendid spell of bowling by Avinash Yadav and an unbeaten 66 from Raviraj Patil helped the Champs to their first win after three matches of the current Indian Cricket League tournament.The Rockets’ openers, whose powerful stand knocked the wind out of Chandigarh Lions in the first game of the tournament, gave their team a steady start after Damien Martyn decided to bat against the Champs. Sachin Dholpure was trapped by Michael Kasprowicz for 29 after he and Wavell Hinds had put on 61 off 9.1 overs, and although they were slightly off the pace, the platform given was ideal for a run-fest in the remaining overs.However, Avinash Yadav wrecked any such hopes with his 4-0-14-4. He first removed Hinds in the 12th over. Saman Jayantha effected a run-out of Sridharan Sriram in the 14th; in the same over he caught Martyn off Yadav’s bowling. The left-arm spinner went on to make it four for the match by dismissing Reetinder Sodhi and Rakesh Patel in the 18th.The Rockets struggled to 131 for 9, and though it was an improvement on their 107 for 6 against the Delhi Giants, the score was not likely to be enough.Subhojit Paul fell early during the Champs’ chase, and Jayantha wasn’t too impressive in his 22-ball 13, but Raviraj Patil went at a brisk pace to keep the Champs on course.His 66 off 46 balls contained six fours and three sixes. Patil’s fiery 52 against the Kolkata Tigers in their previous match had all but sealed victory, but this time he stayed till the end as the Champs reached their target with two balls to spare.

South African cricket is on the edge of a crisis with coach Mickey Arthur facing the sack after a row erupted over transformation quotas for the Bangladesh tour.Arthur is part of a selection panel that picked a squad for the Bangladesh tour which included only four coloured players despite CSA guidelines saying there should be seven. The announcement was delayed as hurried discussions took place.After Norman Arendse, president of CSA, laid formal charges against Arthur and told the that he was being “disrespectful” and “abusive” while adding he was “cocking a snook at his employers’ policy of transformation”, Arthur hit back by filing a counter-complaint with the board.”This has reached ridiculous proportions,” Arthur told the news agency. “I’ve laid a counter charge against him, because he was just as abusive to me as I was to him.”Earlier, Arendse had urged the coach to fall in line with CSA transformation policy. “If a coach says, ‘There’s no transformation policy’ (among selectors), if he says, ‘Sorry, I’m not prepared to implement Cricket South Africa’s policies’, then his position is untenable.”After laying the charge against Arendse, Arthur said, “I have no problem with transformation and I am very willing to work for transformation. However, seven players of colour in a squad of 14 is a target and not a policy.”The situation has arisen after Arendse questioned the make-up of the squad for Bangladesh, with earlier reports saying he wanted Herschelle Gibbs and Monde Zondeki to be included. There have been suggestions that Graeme Smith has considered resigning a players strike is in prospect.Arthur rejected reports that he was threatening to resign and said: “There was nothing that drastic … but the selection panel were very disappointed that we were asked to alter the squad.”However, he did say Thursday was “a crucial day” and hinted at further action if the squad isn’t passed. “Anything could happen in terms of the composition of the squad. I haven’t thought about what course of action I would take if our squad isn’t ratified.Tony Irish, CEO of the South African Cricketers’ Association, said: “The players are not involved in selection, nor should they be. However they believe strongly in the need for integrity in the process.”In a team sport such as cricket selection is probably the most important factor. The team has yet to be finalised so it is not for us to comment further at this stage. For the sake of the integrity of the process however, this issue needs to be finalised quickly.”Arendse added that his role was to make sure the transformation policy was working when squads were selected but said Arthur hadn’t wanted to entertain the notion.”The more I was asking questions about transformation, the more he (Arthur) said they did not have a transformation policy,” Arendse said. “He questioned the fact that I was even asking questions and holding him to account.”

SuperSport Series

The polite indifference which some stars feign when they reflect a fine performance cannot be applied to Mario Olivier, the Warriors fast bowler who last week became the third South African to take 10 wickets in an innings.”I can’t describe how I am feeling,” Olivier said. “I am in the clouds. I have just been looking at the scorecard and it is unbelievable. Everything came together today. I had good rhythm and the ball was moving a bit. I couldn’t find good rhythm at the beginning of the season but I have been working hard in the nets and today it paid off.”Bert Vogler, who according to delivered “the off-break with a leg-break action” and could also bowl fast, took 10 for 26 for Eastern Province against Griqualand West in 1906-07. Twenty years ago, Western Province’s Stephen Jefferies, the bristling left-arm fast bowler who was denied an international career by apartheid, took 10 for 59 against Free State. And now comes Olivier, who took 10 for 65 – but his haul wasn’t enough to deny Eagles heading to a 10-wicket win at Bloemfontein.The Warriors were dismissed for 215 in their second innings, leaving the Eagles to notch an easy 24-run to win.The Maritzburg Oval is one of the game’s most gracious grounds, resplendent with grand old trees and a creaking pavilion that is propped up by a pair of turreted towers. But the pitch is something else – straight off a rubbish tip. That might have the view of some of the batsmen: 39 fell on the first three days of Dolphins’ match against the Cobras at at Pietermaritzburg. Monde Zondeki, the Cobras fast bowler, wasn’t complaining after taking match figures of 10 for 93, but the Dolphins had the last laugh when they claimed the last wicket early on the fourth day to win by 47 runs.In stark contrast, little rose above the level of mediocrity in the drawn match between the Titans and the Lions at Centurion.

SAA Provincial Three-Day Challenge

Steve Waugh, the former Australian captain, wants the concept of neutral umpires to be done away with and says the best umpires should officiate in high-profile matches, such as the India-Australia series. Waugh’s comments came after several umpiring errors on the first day of the second Test between India and Australia in Sydney.Waugh wrote in Australia’s : “The world’s No. 1 umpire for the past four years is Simon Taufel from Sydney and he should be out in the middle making the crucial decisions under pressure for this is what the best aspire to.” He said there might have been a need for neutral umpires in the past, because of a lack of professionalism coupled with poor television cameras.However, with more transparency and with poor performances from umpires likely to see them on the sidelines, Waugh believed there was no reason to insist on neutral umpires any more. Waugh was the most high-profile of the critics of Wednesday’s umpiring. “To have at least four obvious errors in one day is not bad luck,” Waugh said, “just inadequate concentration.”Mark Benson failed to spot an edge down leg side from Ricky Ponting on 17 and then did not see another deflection off the bat when he gave Ponting out lbw for 55. A nick from Andrew Symonds also escaped Steve Bucknor’s attention, while the third umpire Bruce Oxenford turned down a stumping appeal despite replays suggesting that Symonds’ foot was in the air when the bails came off.

Gujranwala U-19 beat Karachi U-19 by 51 runs to claim the limited oversfinal of the Pepsi Junior Under 19 Tournament (Grade I) played at thelush green KRL cricket ground, Rawalpindi. The four-day final betweenthe two teams would be played at the same venue from tomorrow.Put into bat by Karachi Under-19s, Gujranwala Under-19s lost their firstwicket with just 20 runs on the board. A second wicket partnership of103 between Atiq-ur-Rehman and Kamran Younis at this stage did not onlytake their score to safety but it also seemed that Gujranwala will beable to post a huge total.However, with the fall of Atiq at the individual score of 54, theGujranwala players appeared to have lost their way. It was not long afterthat the wicket of dangerous looking Kamran was also taken at the scoreof 147. Kamran played a fine knock of 63 off 91 balls.With both Kamran and Atiq now back in the pavilion, the Gujranwalabatsmen could not find enough grit and determination to take their sideto a big total. Naeem-ud-Din, the stylish left-hander, was the onlyother player who could take his score past 20. However, he too was slowin batting as he took 49 balls to reach 21 runs.The rest of the Gujranwala batsmen just gave in under the pressureapplied by Karachi players’ good fielding and bowling. They could gathera total of only 41 in the last 10 overs as they lost 6 wickets duringthis period. The Gujranwala innings came to a close at 218 in the 48.5overs.Azam Hussain, the left-arm spinner from Karachi, took three wickets for41 runs in 9 overs. The other successful bowlers were Faraz Ahmed andAftab Ahmed with figures of 3/47 and 1/34, respectively. The other threewickets to fall were all run outs.Requiring 219 to win in their 50 overs, the Karachi side started offaggressively despite losing the early wicket of Khalid Latif at thescore of 16. They reached their fifty in only the 6th over without anyfurther success for the fielding side.However, with the loss in quick succession of Mohammad Farooq, theskipper of the Karachi side and Mushtaq Afridi, the younger brother ofthe hard-hitting Shahid Afridi, brought real troubles for the battingside. Farooq scored 14 from 28 deliveries whereas Afridi could get onlyone run in the ten balls that he faced.Seeing that the wicket was taking the turn, the Gujranwala captain appliedspinners from both ends in short spells, ensuring thatthe batsmen just do not adjust themselves to the playing conditions.It was mainly due to this tactic that the Karachi side, which boasted ofa fairly long batting line up, was reduced to 102 for 6 by the 29thover. Realising that they had grabbed the initiative from theiropponents, the Gujranwala bowlers attacked with more ferocity and vigor,making life extremely miserable for the batsmen.Ashraf Ali, the right-handed opener, was the only batsman who could putsome resistance against the Gujranwala bowlers. However, his run out atthe individual score of 46, rendered the Karachi line up virtually atthe mercy of the opposition.The late order of Karachi, comprising of Amin-ur-Rehman (18), AzamHussain (14), and Aftab Ahmed (14), did spend some time at the crease,but their efforts were just not enough to overhaul the target. Karachiwas all out for a mere 167 in the 47th over, in the end conceding thematch quite easily.Every Gujranwala bowler was among wickets. However, Kamran Hussain andthe skipper Bilal Hussain were the pick of the lot with figures of 2/20and 2/25, respectively.The victory in this match has certainly shifted the odds in favour ofthe Gujranwala side to win the four-day contest, too. However, oneexpects that the Karachi players would learn from their mistakes and putup a brave show in the coming match in order to avenge their defeat atthe hands of their rivals.

Shoaib Akhtar’s appeal against a ban for one Test and two one-day internationals has been rejected by Richie Benaud, in his role as ICC Code of Conduct Commissioner.Shoaib was handed the ban by Clive Lloyd, the match referee of the first Test at Lahore, during which Shoaib was alleged to have used abusive language to Paul Adams, thus breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct. He will now be ineligible to play in the second Test against South Africa at Faisalabad, but he was doubtful for that game anyway after straining his hamstring. Shoaib’s next game, fitness permitting, will now probably come in the third ODI of the forthcoming home series against New Zealand.Benaud, the former Australian captain who is now a respected TV commentator, said in his judgment: “In my view, the reason for the implementing of the ICC Code is so captains in particular and players in general will embrace the Preamble to the Laws of Cricket, which makes quite clear what is required of them on the field.”He went on: “The appeal I am asked to determine relates to the sentence imposed by Mr Lloyd, not to the actual offence. It seems to me that Mr Lloyd correctly followed the Code of Conduct rules in every way after Shoaib Akhtar accepted, and said, he was guilty.”This was Shoaib’s second breach of the clause involving abusive language in the last 12 months, so the penalty imposed was “upgraded to that of a Level 3 offence in line with the provisions of the Code”, according to the ICC.

A push to give umpires access to Hawk-Eye to help their decision-making has won support from an unlikely source, with Geoff Boycott insisting the ICC make the move as soon as possible. Boycott believes at the very least the game’s governing body must allow umpires to see basic information such as whether the ball pitched in line with the stumps.The ICC is set to discuss Hawk-Eye at its Cricket Committee meeting in Dubai next week and a trial in Winchester on Wednesday was intended to give the members hard proof of whether the system works. However, rain meant the testing had to be postponed, possibly in favour of another trial at Lord’s following the England-New Zealand Test in a fortnight.But Boycott hopes it will not be long before umpires are allowed to use the technology. “We seem too reticent to try things, we’re taking too long,” he told Cricinfo. “As a player, all you ever want is as many accurate decisions as possible. If I make a mistake and I’m out, well so be it, that’s my fault, but you don’t want to be given out when you feel you’re not out.”Boycott is a member of the MCC World Cricket Committee and there is strong support within the group for greater use of Hawk-Eye. If the ICC agrees, it must decide whether to give umpires unrestricted access to all of Hawk-Eye’s data, including the predicted flight of the ball, or limit it to more clear-cut information such as where the ball pitched and where it struck the batsman.Although Boycott believes in the accuracy of Hawk-Eye’s predictions he thinks a gradual introduction of the technology would help appease the doubters. “These line decisions – I think we can get them into the game straight away,” he said. “The lbws [predicted ball path] – there’s too much doubt at the moment to convince the ICC.”He hopes the on-field umpires can remain in charge by simply asking the third official for specific Hawk-Eye information, much like the video-referee system in rugby. Boycott believes the proliferation of new tools being shown to viewers means umpires are being hung out to dry.”Umpires make mistakes – they’re human, we all make mistakes – but today with television as it is and so good, they show the replay and it shows up any errors. I don’t like seeing umpires embarrassed or made to look foolish but you can’t tell television not to show it because television now pays all the money to keep the game alive.”There should be a way of doing it, like other sports, where the umpire on field is still in charge and makes the final decision. We need to get rid of blatant mistakes but also accept line-ball decisions. Unless it’s clearly not out we should go with the decision of the umpire on field.”If Hawk-Eye is adopted by the ICC, the spotlight will almost certainly move to other devices like the snickometer and the infra-red Hot Spot camera. While Boycott is uncertain whether those tools should be used by umpires, he believes it would be foolish to deny the officials any hard facts available to viewers.”I’m more concerned at the moment about things that are quite easy to tell – pitching outside leg stump, that should be quite straightforward,” Boycott said. “Television is getting so good you’ve got super slow-mo, it shows inside-edges when people are given out lbw. You’ve got to find ways to open your mind and some people have closed minds to change.”

Hardly a day goes by without self-inflicted unrest rocking the Pakistan camp, and this time it is former captain Rashid Latif who has put his stick into the hornets’ nest and given it a good stir.Appearing on television to discuss the squad selection for the one-day series against New Zealand, Rashid leveled all sorts of accusations against the Pakistan authorities. Among other remarks, Latif slammed the cricketing structure within the country, claimed that the relationship between journalists and selectors was too cozy, that selections were not always based on merit, and that various administrators did not always act in the best interests of the game. Latif concluded by saying that he was collecting evidence and would present his findings soon.Rashid was more conciliatory on the subject of players’ pay, admitting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had looked after their welfare and gone a long way to improving their pay and conditions. But the concession was tempered with a call for an even greater share of sponsorship and television rights to be passed on to the squad.A source close to the PCB dismissed Latif’s attack, saying that his views on cricket were blinkered. “In Rashid’s book," he commented, "there probably is only the word ‘take’ while the word ‘give’ is missing”.He went on to condemn Latif for adding to an already uneasy situation and for giving more ammunition to those willing to snipe at the authorities. "With his reckless and even irresponsible statements continues to provide these elements with nourishment," he said. "He can contribute far more through his cricketing skills."

Zimbabwe have called up Barney Rogers in place of Trevor Gripper for their fourth one-day international against West Indies at Harare on Saturday.Rogers, who has scored only 13 runs in two previous internationals, helped his chances of a recall with a half-century against West Indies for Zimbabwe A last week.The opening combination of Gripper and Vusi Sibanda have yet to fire for Zimbabwe, and Gripper, who has only scored 39 in the three matches, is the unlucky one to miss out.Zimbabwe lead 2-1 in the five-match series.Zimbabwe 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Barney Rogers, 3 Mark Vermuelen, 4 Craig Wishart, 5 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 6 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 7 Heath Streak (capt), 8 Andy Blignaut, 9 Sean Ervine, 10 Ray Price, 11 Gary Brent.West Indies (probable) 1 Wavell Hinds, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Brian Lara (capt), 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Marlon Samuels, 7 Ricardo Powell, 8 Ridley Jacobs (wk), 9 Vasbert Drakes, 10 Merv Dillon, 11 Corey Collymore.

Brett Lee has been left out of the Australian squad for the third Test to enable him to play for New South Wales against Western Australia in an ING Cup match on January 2. Stuart MacGill, the legspinner, and Shane Watson, the allrounder, have been added to the XI which won the second Test against Pakistan at Melbourne.Trevor Hohns, the chairman of the national selection panel, said the decision to release Lee was taken after discussions with the player. “Following discussions with Brett, we have agreed to give him the chance to get some more game-time under his belt by being available to play for New South Wales,” said Hohns. “We felt it was unlikely Brett would be selected to play in Sydney, as the three fast bowlers currently in the XI are doing a very good job. So in Brett’s best interests, we feel it is important for him to get some solid match practice, not just for New South Wales, but also for Australia A over the next couple of weeks.”Hohns added that the selection panel was sensitive to Lee’s position. “We acknowledge that the last few months have been frustrating for him, but his attitude and work ethic have been first-class.”Watson came in for special praise, with Hohns describing him as an “an exciting young talent”. Hohns added: “Shane gives us the option of going into the match with a combination of two fast bowlers, two spinners and a seamer. His inclusion in the squad certainly gives us some variety if needed. Although he has yet to play a Test, Shane has plenty of experience as part of this squad, most recently in India, so if selected, we feel that he should be able to settle in and do a job for us.”Hohns also gave MacGill the thumbs-up. “Stuart gives us the ability to play two spinners if needed. He has taken a lot of wickets for New South Wales, and has plenty of experience at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He is a proven performer for us, whenever opportunities have been presented to him.”The third Test against Pakistan begins on Sunday (January 2) at Sydney.Australia squad 1 Justin Langer, 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Damien Martyn, 5 Darren Lehmann, 6 Michael Clarke, 7 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 8 Shane Warne, 9 Jason Gillespie, 10 Michael Kasprowicz, 11 Glenn McGrath, 12 Shane Watson, 13 Stuart MacGill.