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A round-up of the final day of the fourth round of Pentangular Cup matches

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2012Punjab and Sind reserved their berths in the final of the Pentangular Cup after finishing at the top in the points table, leaving Baluchistan, Federal Areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province out of contention. The final will be played from February 18 to 22 in Lahore.The pre-final dead rubber between Baluchistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province ended in a tame draw at Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar. Baluchistan’s Ahmed Raza restricted KPP on 355 with his seven-wicket haul as KPP manged to add only 90 runs on the final day. Saeed Anwar Junior’s century and Rizwan Haider’s half-century helped Baluchistan to 252 for 5 when the match was called off.After three days ruined by wet conditions, Sind and Federal Areas kicked off the action on the final day at Rawalpindi Stadium. Federal opted to bat first and put on 221 for 3, with Afaq Raheem (72) and Umair Khan (49) capturing the eye. The umpires called off the day after 56 overs to declare a draw.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, the West Indies batsman, has been dropped for the third and final Test against India

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2011Struggling West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan has been dropped for the third and final Test against India in Dominica. Kieran Powell, a 21-year-old batsman from Leeward Islands, has been named as his replacement.Sarwan, 31, back in the Test side for the ongoing home season after nearly one-and-a-half years out, has struggled for form right through, starting with the Pakistan Tests. He managed only 54 runs in four innings against Pakistan, and his form nosedived further in the series against India, where he managed only 29 runs over the first two Tests. Sarwan seemed to have been informed of his axing soon after the second Test in Barbados. An hour after bad light ensured a draw, Sarwan tweeted: “Wishing the guys all the best in Dominica! Miami here I come.” Warner Park in Dominica is the venue for the third Test.Clyde Butts, chairman of the selection committee, said he expected Sarwan to make a strong comeback. “Ramnaresh is having a difficult time and it is best for him to make way and allow a player in better form to contribute to the team totals,” he said. “We have no doubt about Ramnaresh’s class as a batsman, he has proven himself countless times in the past and we are certain that he will return stronger in the near future.”Sarwan’s replacement, Powell, played two one-dayers for West Indies in 2009, when the entire first-choice team pulled out of a home series against Bangladesh and the Champions Trophy in South Africa due to a contract dispute. He was among the first batch of players to train at the Sagicor High Performance Centre after it was established in 2010. He has played 23 first-class matches since his debut in 2008 and averages 38.91.”Kieran is young but has been on the first-class circuit for some time and is a former Windies Under -19 World Cup player,” Butts said. “He did well for West Indies A and scored an impressive hundred against England Lions in the WICB Regional 4 Day Tournament but got injured subsequently. We believe he has bright future and this is an excellent opportunity for him to show his worth on the international stage.”Squad Adrian Barath, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh (wk), Darren Sammy (capt), Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Devendra Bishoo, Kirk Edwards, Kemar Roach, Kieran Powell.

Mtutuzeli Nyoka, the Cricket South Africa (CSA) president, faces a second no-confidence vote after the board tabled the motion at a special general meeting on September 8

Firdose Moonda09-Sep-2011Mtutuzeli Nyoka, the Cricket South Africa (CSA) president, faces a second no-confidence vote after the board tabled the motion at a special general meeting on September 8. The meeting to vote on whether Nyoka will be removed as president will be held on October 15.CSA confirmed the notice had been sent to Nyoka’s office and to his lawyer, but Nyoka declined to comment when ESPNcricinfo inquired whether he had received the documentation.This is the second time in the space of eight months that CSA have attempted to oust their president. They first removed him in February but Nyoka challenged that decision in the South Gauteng High Court. It was found that the axing was unlawful and he was reinstated.The latest effort came after CSA’s annual conference, where Nyoka walked out of a board meeting, claiming there were issues on the agenda that he was not informed of. Nyoka’s lawyer, Bernard Matheson, said the items included a complaint against Nyoka for breaching media protocol, objections about the way he dealt with press releases, and an allegation that the national team was concerned that he had set a poor example.Nyoka informed the board he would lay criminal charges. “He did not say who those charges were against or what the charges were,” AJ Sooklal, head of CSA’s legal and governance committee, said.CSA hit back, claiming Nyoka had “brought the organisation into disrepute” and “treated the board in a contemptuous manner.” They also accused him of contravening the Companies Act by receiving his annual honorarium in advance without the consent of the board.The latest developments were part of the year-long spat between Nyoka and CSA chief executive Gerald Majola, which started when 4.7 million Rand ($671,428) were paid in bonuses after South Africa hosted the 2009 IPL and the Champions Trophy. The payments were not processed through CSA’s remunerations committee (Remco) – although they were taxed – and were picked up as irregularities by CSA’s auditors Deloitte. An external investigation was set up to look into the matter.Eight weeks later, CSA moved the inquiry in-house because board members felt they had not exhausted their own procedures. A committee of inquiry was appointed under vice-president AK Khan. In November, the Khan Commission cleared Majola of any wrongdoing save for making “an error of judgment” by not declaring the payments through Remco.The first attempt to remove Nyoka came three months later, but when Nyoka returned to office in May, the matter was reopened. As part of his court battle, Nyoka asked that CSA undergo a forensic audit and KPMG were tasked with conducting it.The audit results were presented to the board on July 30. KPMG found that Majola could have breached the Companies’ Act in four instances and had to pass the matter on to a lawyer in order for CSA to take a decision. With the help of the South African Sports Council and Olympic Committee, Azhra Bham was appointed as the legal advisor.Bham delivered his findings orally to CSA the day before their AGM on August 20. The board issued Majola with a severe reprimand for his role in the bonus payments and resolved to institute better corporate governance measures. Nyoka did not attend the AGM for personal reasons and tried to get a copy of Bham’s report, which has not been released.The matter may end up in court again, further denting CSA’s reputation, and it has had consequences that directly affect cricket. With less than a month to go before the 2011-12 season starts, CSA is yet to announce sponsors for two of the three domestic competitions, the international Twenty20 team and all three international formats – Tests, ODIs and T20s. CSA’s commercial manager, Richard Glover, said the scandal had taken its toll because “the new sponsors want us to draw a line under the bonus saga before we make any announcements.” CSA’s only confirmed international sponsor is Castle Lager, who renewed and expanded their contract to include the Test and ODI teams in August.

Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach, has been given a two-year contract as India coach

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2011Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and Zimbabwe captain, has been appointed India’s coach, ending weeks of speculation over who would succeed Gary Kirsten. The BCCI announced the decision to give Fletcher a two-year contract after a Working Committee meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday. Eric Simons’ tenure as the team’s bowling coach was also extended.Fletcher, though, is unlikely to join India for the tour of the West Indies in June. “The contract with Fletcher is for two years,” N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, said. “He may not join the team in the West Indies as he has some prior commitments.”After a lot of thought and consultation, the BCCI president and BCCI secretary placed Fletcher’s name before the Working Committee, which the Committee ratified,” Rajiv Shukla, the BCCI vice-president, said, adding that the terms and conditions of Fletcher’s appointment would be the same as that of Kirsten’s.It has been reliably learnt that Kirsten played an important hand in recommending Fletcher for the job. Also the board consulted some of the senior India players, including captain MS Dhoni, before finalising Fletcher’s appointment.Fletcher, 62, was in charge of England when they beat Australia in 2005 to regain the Ashes for the first time since 1986-87, and was credited with turning around England’s fortunes in Tests during his eight-year stint, first with Nasser Hussain and then with Michael Vaughan.He was England’s first foreign coach and took over in 1999. He oversaw Test series wins in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, though Australia thrashed England 4-1 in the Ashes in 2001. Later, with Vaughan, he helped England win their first Test series in South Africa post apartheid and the pair played a critical role in moulding a team that was to win the Ashes in 2005.England won 42 and lost 30 Tests with Fletcher in charge but their ODI form wasn’t as good – winning 75 and losing 82. His tenure reached its lowest ebb during a 0-5 Ashes drubbing in Australia in 2006-07 and a disappointing World Cup campaign, after which he stepped down. One of Fletcher’s problems during his England reign was a tetchy relationship with the media, something which Vaughan felt could be a hindrance in his India job as well. “Duncan will work well with all the talent,” Vaughan said on Twitter. “His biggest challenge will come from the media … he has never really understood how it works.”After giving up the England job, Fletcher took up several short-term international assignments. He joined South Africa as a batting consultant in 2008, a role he returned to for the 2011 World Cup, and was in a similar position with New Zealand on their tour of India last year.England were officially ranked the worst Test team when he took over as their coach, and he will now take charge of a team that won the World Cup earlier this month and is currently top of the Test rankings.One of the first coaching jobs Fletcher took up was at the University of Cape Town, where Kirsten was part of the team. The pair once again were together at Western Province.In 1994, Fletcher applied for his first high-profile job – the head coach of South Africa. He was one of the three candidates interviewed. His competitors were Eddie Barlow and Bob Woolmer. Eventually the three-man panel comprising Peter Pollock, Raymond White and Ali Bacher agreed on Woolmer, who stayed in the job till 1999. Fletcher, meanwhile, operated as South Africa A coach for a while before taking up the England assignment.According to Bacher, Fletcher’s style of coaching draws a lot from his playing days.”Hardworking, disciplined, very professionally driven and played to his utmost potential even if he was not blessed with extraordinary talent,” Bacher said. “He brings the same characteristics to his coaching.”Fletcher has also been known to work on an individual basis with Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis.

James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, doubts any action will be taken against Simon Katich.

Daniel Brettig and Brydon Coverdale10-Jun-2011James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, doubts any action will be taken against Simon Katich for his tirade against CA and the national selectors.However Sutherland has taken issue with Katich’s contention that the naming of a 17-man squad prior to the first Ashes Test in Brisbane last year, in order to appease the demands of the CA marketing department, had destabilised the team.CA were sent scurrying for a response by Katich’s bold address at the SCG on Friday morning, and Sutherland emerged from a concurrent board meeting to say it was unlikely that Katich would be penalised before his central contract expired on June 30.”I understand that Simon’s disappointed and that he’s made comments along those lines today but I don’t see that CA will be taking action for those comments,” Sutherland said. “My view and the Cricket Australia board’s view is that it is right for people to be able to make their subjective judgements but it crosses the line when there are any suggestions about the integrity of individual members of the selection panel, the panel as a group, or the processes they engage in to make these selections.”I am not necessarily saying Simon has entirely called them into question in that fashion but Cricket Australia stands by them in terms of their integrity and the process they go through.”Sutherland said he was “not happy” with Katich’s public pronouncements but would seek him out personally to discuss them rather than charging him with bringing the game into disrepute over public comments, an area usually within the remit of the head of cricket operations, Michael Brown.”The simple answer is yes, Simon could have expressed his views more privately. But he chose to do that in the manner that he did,” Sutherland said. “I’m not making a complaint about that. I know Simon did have some discussions with the Australian Cricketers’ Association to explore that. If that’s not some sort of avenue to at least understand what his rights might be then I’m not sure what is.”More divisive was Katich’s view that the Ashes campaign had been damaged by the selection of a 17-man squad that could be announced via a public event at Sydney’s Circular Quay. The announcement was a fizzer, attracting few spectators or television viewers, and things would only get worse from there.”It’s fair to say that has come up from time to time in discussions, certainly something in the review. My personal view on that is that as professional sportsman you live in a world of competition,” Sutherland said. “You compete against other teams, you compete against other people for spots in teams, and if the process of selection means you have a squad of 13 or 14 or whatever it might be before a Test match, or even 17, well so be it.”People live in that competitive world, and if anyone can cope with that, it is elite athletes, elite cricketers. I don’t see how someone who has the mental toughness and strength to compete in Test cricket at the highest level how that should affect them too much. At the same time I acknowledge that it wasn’t an ideal situation, and perhaps looking back on it we would’ve done it slightly differently.”As for the growing tide of opinion that the selectors should be full-time employees, Sutherland said there were “no immediate plans” to change the current system, but hinted that may change after the Argus review had concluded.”At the moment we have a selection panel of three, Greg Chappell is a full-time employee, there are no immediate plans for that, but there is a review under way and it is quite obvious that one of the topics of discussion within the review process has been about selection,” he said.

Ambati Rayudu, R Sathish, Dhawal Kulkarni and Siddharth Trivedi, some of the most sought-after uncapped players in the IPL, have decided to stay back with the franchises where they gained prominence

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2011Ambati Rayudu, R Sathish, Dhawal Kulkarni and Siddharth Trivedi, some of the most sought-after uncapped players in the IPL, have decided to stay back with the franchises where they gained prominence. Rayudu, Sathish and Kulkarni will remain with Mumbai Indians while Trivedi has opted to play for Rajasthan Royals, with whom he won the inaugural IPL in 2008.It is understood that four franchises were keen to rope in Kulkarni, who has been with Mumbai from the first year. There were also many takers for the pair of Rayudu and Sathish, both of whom had joined Mumbai last year after cancelling their contracts with the rebel Indian Cricket League in 2009. Both made an instant impact and were vital in Mumbai reaching the finals in the third season.Rayudu impressed with the bat, scoring 246 runs at a strike-rate of 144.71, and carried that form into the Ranji season in which he was Baroda’s top-scorer with 566 runs, including an unbeaten double-century against Orissa. Sathish made a name for himself as a livewire in the field during the third season of the IPL, and averaged 42.57 for Tamil Nadu over the 2010-11 Ranji season.The other players who have also decided to stay with their former teams include left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati of Goa and Tamil Nadu batsman Abhinav Mukund. The pair played for Chennai Super Kings in the previous three years. Interestingly, Chennai was the only team which decided to stick to the winning squad it had built over the three years, fighting hard during the auction to retain most of the original squad. Chennai have also signed Tamil Nadu seamer Yo Mahesh, who was part of Delhi Daredevils’ squad for the first three seasons.In addition to Trivedi the other players Rajasthan retained were Abhishek Raut and Aditya Dole, who played for them last season. But they failed to retain Bengal batsman Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, who signed with Pune Warriors. Jhunjhunwala, another ICL player, had joined Rajasthan for the third season of the IPL, and proved to be an effective batsman and a handy fielder too. Delhi Daredevils lost out on the services of the seasoned allrounder Rajat Bhatia, who moved eastwards to Kolkata Knight Riders.

Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett has revealed the latest roadblock for Derby County regarding the potential new takeover of the club.

The Lowdown: Relegation confirmed

The Rams officially entered administration back in September 2021, amid ongoing financial problems at the club, when they received a 12-point deduction from the English Football League.

Despite a valiant effort to remain in the Championship after two point deductions, their relegation to League One has been confirmed following a 1-0 defeat at the hands of QPR two weeks ago.

American businessman Chris Kirchner was last month named as the preferred bidder for Derby, which gave everyone associated with the club hope that a deal was near to being completed, but following a fresh update, it would now appear that a setback in the takeover process has occurred.

The Latest: Morris causing stadium roadblock

Revealing the news in a post on Twitter, Dorsett claimed: “I’ve been told most areas addressed, but key work still to do for #dcfc and Kirchner, who is reluctant to proceed if can’t get deal with Mel Morris to buy stadium. Leasing an option, but CK adamant he wants to buy stadium, for much greater security.”

The Verdict: Hoping to bounce back

Wayne Rooney’s side will be in action for their final game in the second-tier of English football when they take on Cardiff City at Pride Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Rams will be hoping to end the season on a high and secure victory against the Bluebirds to give their prospective new owner, Kirchner, who will no doubt be watching on, a positive outlook as to what the future could be like for Derby.

With that comes plenty of hope that there will be a lot more stability surrounding the club next season, where the Midlands outfit will be fighting to bounce back up at the first time of asking.

Sean Ervine will return to international duty with Zimbabwe at the World Cup after being included in the finalised squad of 15 for the tournament, which starts on February 19

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2011Sean Ervine will return to international duty with Zimbabwe at the World Cup after being included in the finalised squad of 15 for the tournament, which starts on February 19. Elton Chigumbura will captain an evenly-spread group that includes six batsmen, two of whom are part-time spinners, three seamers and three specialist slow bowlers.Ervine will join his young brother Craig in the squad on a three-year contract, signed over Christmas, but for the moment will also continue his association with Hampshire as an overseas player and remains part of their squad for the ongoing Caribbean Twenty20 competition. His return to Zimbabwe colours ends an international hiatus of nearly seven years, and his experience will help to shore up a brittle middle order, as well as providing a third all-round option along with Chigumbura and Greg Lamb.The squad also provides options in the wicketkeeping department. Tatenda Taibu is an obvious first choice for the role, but Regis Chakabva, Brendan Taylor and Charles Coventry could all provide competent back-up should he be injured.One area in which Zimbabwe may be a little light is their opening batsmen. With Hamilton Masakadza omitted from Zimbabwe’s World Cup plans despite helping to put together some useful opening stands last year, Chamu Chibhabha failing to make the cut and Terrence Duffin, Tino Mawoyo and Vusi Sibanda included only as non-travelling reserves it would appear either Chakabva or Taibu will be Taylor’s partner at the top.Chakabva has opened for Zimbabwe Under-19, Zimbabwe A and Zimbabwe Provinces in limited-overs cricket on occasion, while Taibu has taken first strike in three one-day internationals – most recently against Bangladesh at Mirpur in January 2009 – although his only success in that position has been in domestic cricket.Prosper Utseya, Ray Price and Graeme Cremer were always certainties in the World Cup squad with Zimbabwe building their bowling attack around spin in recent times, while Shingi Masakadza, Chris Mpofu and Ed Rainsford were the three most obvious choices for the seamers’ positions. There’s no space for Ryan Butterworth, whose all-round performances in the domestic Stanbic Bank 20 Series earned him a call-up for the trip to Bangladesh late last year, with Charles Coventry and Sean Williams taking the final two spots.Brian Lara, who signed a contract as batting consultant to the national side after his involvement in the local Twenty20 tournament with the Southern Rocks franchise, will join the touring party on a pre-World Cup trip to Dubai and India from February 1. Zimbabwe will play two warm-up matches in each country, and coach Alan Butcher has argued that they will be better or as well prepared for the World Cup as any of their 13 rivals.Zimbabwe World Cup squad: Elton Chigumbura (capt), Regis Chakabva, Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Sean Ervine, Gregory Lamb, Shingirai Masakadza, Christopher Mpofu, Raymond Price, Edward Rainsford, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams
Non-travelling reserves: Terrence Duffin, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Njabulo Ncube, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusimuzi Sibanda

Crystal Palace look set to fend off interest in academy star David Obou by securing his services to a three-year professional deal, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Obou profiled

Obou joined Palace’s academy in January 2021 and has seemingly caught the eye at international level, along with the attention of several clubs.

The 16-year-old, who can play on either flank or in a central attacking midfield role, is being tracked by France and has been invited to play for England at youth level.

He has already turned out for Palace’s under-18s, and it looks as if he will remain with the Eagles when he turns 17 in November.

The Latest: Obou set to sign new Palace deal

The Daily Mail’s David Kent shared a story on Monday evening, suggesting that Palace will fend off interest from Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven to secure Obou to a three-year professional contract.

They described it as a boost for Palace, with the club agreeing on terms for a professional deal to kick in when he turns 17 later this year.

The Verdict: Good news for Palace

Obou clearly has plenty of potential, judging by  the two European clubs being keen on his services, so Palace landing the teenager on a permanent professional deal can only be good news for Patrick Vieira.

The Eagles have a number of exciting attacking youngsters coming through, including Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and David Omilabu, who both penned professional deals last year, and Obou looks set to follow in their footsteps.

The next step for the 16-year-old could be to establish himself in the club’s under-23s over the coming years, with a view to eventually breaking through into Vieira’s first-team setup.

In other news: Journo says Palace are now ‘in talks’ with ‘effortless’ £19.8m-rated maestro. 

MS Dhoni, the India captain, has said he will request the BCCI for some rest ahead of the tour of South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2010MS Dhoni, the India captain, has said he will request the BCCI for some rest ahead of the tour of South Africa. India have had a busy schedule since the tour of Sri Lanka earlier in the year and Dhoni said players like himself and Suresh Raina haven’t had a break. India play a five-match ODI series against New Zealand, their last international assignment ahead of the South Africa tour, and if Dhoni’s request is accepted, he could likely be rested for that series.”If you look at the schedule players like myself and Suresh Raina have been playing non-stop cricket since the Sri Lanka tour,” Dhoni told reporters in Nagpur on the eve of the third Test against New Zealand. “We went to play in the Champions League after that and came back and played the Australia and the New Zealand series.”So there has not been enough time to switch on and switch off. We will put in a request to the board but we have to see whether senior players are available or not.”The BCCI, last month, had agreed to send some players early to South Africa to prepare for the Test series in December due to the absence of any practice games. Dhoni said the details still had to be “worked out”. The first Test begins on December 16.