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FICA, ICC discuss Sri Lanka player salaries

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is in talks with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) to find a solution to non-payment of Sri Lanka player salaries.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) told BBC in October that players have not been paid for months due to a financial crisis since hosting the World Cup. SLC workers have not been paid, according to Daily Mirror.
Newspaper:Mid Day, 5th Dec

 

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CA set to undergo sweeping changes

Cricket Australia is set to be rocked by sweeping changes as its Board could be forced to sack itself when a ‘secret report’ recommending complete overhaul is handed over to it on Wednesday.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, “David Crawford, who re-designed the Australian Football League hierarchy in 1992, will present a secret report to the CA board on Wednesday recommending sweeping changes.”

“It is understood that the report recommends the 14-man board of elected state delegates be replaced by a nine-man independent commission.”

CA, which carried out a major overhauling of the team management by roping in Australia’s first foreign coach in Mickey Arthur recently, is expected to undergo some changes itself after the fresh report.

“Each state will be asked to nominate one board member who has no state or club ties and the six new delegates will then appoint three further independents with specific expertise,” the newspaper reported.

CA had engaged Crawford and former AFL Commissioner Colin Carter to suggest administrative changes.

Just-elected CA chairman Wally Edwards, who played three Tests in the mid ‘70s, said he would be happy to step down if it helps putting a better system in place.

“Maybe our governance review, it’s getting close, might even see me the shortest—serving chairman in Cricket Australia’s history,” Edwards said.
Newspaper:The Hindu, 6th Dec

 

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Steve Waugh warns Cummins about IPL lure

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh on Wednesday warned teen pace sensation Pat Cummins against falling for the lure of IPL cash, saying playing for Australia should be his top priority.

“The priority has got to be playing for Australia, the baggy green is number one and everything else slots in underneath that,” said Waugh.

“Obviously there's money to be made from the IPL, but I think as a young guy with his potential and his star quality, he's going to make a lot of money out of the game of cricket.

“And if his body is a little bit susceptible to injury at the moment his commitment has got to be playing for Australia first.”

Cummins has announced that he would give his name for the IPL players' auction next season but Waugh said he should be cautioned about such a move by senior figures of the Australian team.
Newspaper:Indian Express, 7th Dec

 

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Viru is the most dangerous batsman in world cricket: Bhajji

Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh termed Virender Sehwag as the "most dangerous batsman in world cricket" after the latter's record-breaking 219 against the West Indies at Indore on Thursday.

"By far, Viru is the most dangerous batsman in world cricket," Harbhajan, who is currrently
nursing a shin injury, said.

Sehwag has been under a bit of pressure as he hadn't scored much in the first three ODIs, but his teammate through the last decade feels that one should never judge Sehwag's abilities by a string of poor scores.

"I have always said that on his day, no bowler can stop him," the 'Turbonator' added.

"As his teammate, I really feel proud that a special player like him has achieved this feat. Not only us but each and every cricket fan in this country should feel proud about such an achievement," Harbhajan added.

Sehwag and Harbhajan has had mutual admiration for each other and the Nawab of Najafgarh in a recent interview to PTI had said that off-spinner will soon make a comeback like he did in late 2007.

May be this innings from the swashbuckling opener acts as an inspiration for one of India's premier spinners.
Newspaper:Indian Express, 9th Dec

 

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Virender Sehwag a better Test player, feels Ganguly

KOLKATA: Virender Sehwag's world-record 219 against the West Indies in the Indore ODI on Thursday has not only made his teammates and fans proud, but also his former skipper Sourav Ganguly. "It was an incredible innings," Ganguly said on Friday.

The southpaw, however, missed the live action as he was leading Bengal in the Ranji Trophy match at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. But he did watch the highlights package later. "He is a brilliant player. When Sehwag gets going there's no stopping him," Ganguly commented.

Ganguly, who was instrumental in pushing Sehwag to open the innings for India 10 years ago against Sri Lanka, however did not want to take any credit for that. "I had only sent him out to open the innings, it's he who got all the runs," he pointed out.

Ganguly, however, believes that Sehwag has achieved much more in the Test matches than in ODIs. "I will not rate him as an all-time great ODI player as he has fired sporadically in limited-overs cricket. I think he has achieved much more in Test matches and I will rate him much higher in the longest format of the game," Ganguly remarked.
Newspaper:Times Of India, 10th Dec

 

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Pakistan, England series to see UDRS

The Pakistan Cricket Board has once again shown its strong support for the Umpires Decision Review System by announcing that it would be used in the Test and ODI series against England next month. "We have obtained sponsorship due to which the UDRS will be applied during the Test and ODI
series against England," PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad told PTI.

Subhan said Pepsi had agreed to sponsor the use of the system which would cost roughly around $5000 per match. "We believe that the system is a value addition to the sport and has helped in reducing errors in the game and assisting the umpires in making the right decisions," Subhan said.

Pakistan also used the UDRS in their recent ODI series against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan plays three Tests starting from January 17 and than an ODI series against England in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Subhan said the England and Wales Cricket Board had also supported the use of the system in the coming series. "It has been possible for us to have this system only because of the sponsors. Hopefully the system will be a helpful tool for the umpires in Tests and ODIs," he said.

"We be using the hawkeye and snickometer technologies in the series," he added.
Newspaper:Hindustan Times, 11th Dec

 

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Sachin, Lara toughest to bowl at: Lee

Australian speedster Brett Lee in his 12-year-international career found Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara as two of the batsmen of his era whom he found difficult to bowl to.

"Sachin and Lara were the two," Lee said in an interview when asked about those batsmen he found toughest to bowl to.

Lee, who is considered as one of the fastest bowlers in the history of the game also stated that he wished he would have had a chance to share the new ball with legendary Dennis Lillee.

"I would have loved to bowl in tandem with the great Dennis Lillee. He had great action, great aggression, had every single ball and is a top fellow," Lee was quoted as saying during the interview.

The bowler also recalled his enjoyable battle with Lara during Australia's visit to the Caribbean in 2003, terming the contest as one of his favourites.
Newspaper:Indian Express, 11th Dec

 

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PCB to lure teams with foolproof security

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly finalized foolproof security plans for the visiting cricket teams, official sources revealed on Saturday.

The first step for the PCB will be trying to convince Bangladesh, where the Pakistani cricket team is playing these days, Xinhua reported.

According to sources, the PCB's newly-appointed chairman Zaka Ashraf has planned to meet Mustafa Kamal, his counterpart from Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), on the sidelines of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Singapore next week.

After that, Ashraf will again go back to Bangladesh at the end of the Pakistani team's tour to give the final presentation of the security plan in Pakistan.

"The board (PCB) has formed a foolproof security plan and it will be presented and explained to the all cricket nations in future," the source said.

Pakistan last hosted an international sports event on March 3, 2009, when some unidentified gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team's bus on its way from the hotel to stadium in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore where they were to play a match against Pakistan.
Newspaper:Mid Day, 11th Dec

 

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Warne burns bowling fingers ahead of T20

Legspinning legend Shane Warne said on Monday he had badly burnt the fingers of his bowling hand, putting him in doubt for his comeback in Australia's Big Bash League this weekend.

Warne, 42, put pictures of his blistered hand on Twitter on Monday and appealed for help from the
public to hasten his recovery in time to play for the Melbourne Stars against Sydney Thunder on Saturday.


"Not ideal preparation for practice match today -- burning the bowling hand. Get better quickly please, any suggestions - HELP," Warne tweeted.

The photo showed the little finger of his right hand was the worst affected from the accident, thought to have happened while cooking at home.

The Melbourne Stars said they were confident Warne would be OK to play this weekend and that he would miss a practice match on Monday.

Warne had apparently ended his stellar cricket career at the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May but said recently he had never felt fitter in confirming his signing with the Melbourne Stars.

Warne has not played Test cricket since helping Australia to a 5-0 Ashes whitewash over England in January 2007 but he led the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL until earlier this year.

He said part of his desire to return to the field for the Big Bash was that he wanted his three children to be able to see him at work and it was an "added bonus" his British fiancee Liz Hurley would be there too.
Newspaper:Hindustan Times, 12th Dec

 

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I didn't want to be a figurehead: Kumble

BANGALORE: Cricket babudom's latest victim is former India captain Anil Kumble. At a time when there's a serious call for more sportsmen to be involved in sports administration, Kumble resigned from his post as NCA chairman during a BCCI Working Committee meeting in Delhi on Monday.

A series of allegations, which included a possible conflict of interest thanks to the multiple hats he wore, hadn't led him to call it a day. In fact he had insisted then that it is not in his nature to run away from a problem. But when his vision for a new-look National Cricket Academy (NCA), which would go beyond being a rehabilitation center as it seems to be now, was repeatedly put on the backburner, Kumble realized his time was up.

"I had a three-year vision for the NCA but when that didn't seem to find an alignment with the other members (of the NCA as well as the BCCI), I decided to move on," Kumble told TOI.

The resignation was reportedly accepted promptly and Punjab's MP Pandove appointed caretaker chairman. The NCA itself had met in Chennai on Sunday, a meeting chaired by Kumble. "I didn't want to be a mere figurehead, that's not how I work," added Kumble.
Newspaper:Times Of India, 13th Dec