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Zimbabwe’s cricketers are being rewarded for their historic tour of Pakistan by having the red carpet rolled out for them and experiencing the kind of treatment they rarely get

Firdose Moonda26-May-2015Zimbabwe’s cricketers are being rewarded for their historic tour of Pakistan by having the red carpet rolled out for them and experiencing the kind of treatment they rarely get. While they have gone public with their appreciation through their tweets, they’ve matched that in their off-record comments.”They have really pulled out all the stops for us. We are being treated extremely well,” one player told ESPNcricinfo.Unlike their South African, English, Australian or Indian contemporaries, Zimbabwe’s cricketers are on modest pay-cheques, which sometimes do not get paid on time or at all. When they play at home, especially in Harare, the team do not stay at a hotel but at their own homes. They do not travel in a team bus, but by their own means. Now, all that has changed.When Zimbabwe are escorted to the stadium for training and match days in Lahore, it is by an armed guard, something they expected before leaving. One of the players said the team had heard at least 3,500 security personnel had been deployed for their trip. Their movements have been restricted by the security arrangements but several Zimbabwe cricketers took to Twitter to open the channels of communication even before leaving. They retweeted messages from Pakistani fans promising their safety and have since continued sharing their experience on that platform.Craig Ervine is the most notable example. Before leaving for Pakistan, he posted this message on Twitter:

Appreciate the huge support from Pakistan. I know u will make us feel welcome, comfortable in ur country! #memories#experienceofaliftime

— Craig Ervine (@Craig_Ervine77) May 18, 2015

His message was well-received by Pakistan fans.

@Craig_Ervine77 gear up Ervine to get a fantastic welcome from Pakistan. We are waiting for you guys. Have a safe flight.

— Jila Watan (@Cric_Pak) May 18, 2015

On the eve of the first T20 last Friday, Ervine said:

Loving the passion for cricket in Pakistan!! #bringingcrickethome#onedaytogo

— Craig Ervine (@Craig_Ervine77) May 20, 2015

On the day of the game, which he did not eventually play, Ervine tweeted:

Huge anticipation & excitement of this historic evening in Lahore. Its great 2 be apart of it!!#cricketcomeshomeafter6longyrs#pakvzim#1stt20

— Craig Ervine (@Craig_Ervine77) May 22, 2015

Zimbabwe have been enjoying the hospitality and warm reception of fans off the field, too. The team is staying at the Pearl Continental Hotel, an establishment frequented by state presidents, and not at the National Cricket Academy as originally planned. The PCB changed the venue after deciding housing people in the stadium would create the impression the country was not ready for visitors.The change of location means that Zimbabwe’s touring party will see a little more than just the Gaddafi Stadium precinct but not much more. Their travel is limited to the hotel and the ground with shopping, sightseeing or even general roaming around strictly forbidden.

Ahead of their showdown on Sunday, GOAL rank the 10 greatest African players to play for the Premier League title contenders

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images10Ali Benarbia

Manchester City pulled off a coup when they recruited Algeria’s Benarbia from Paris Saint-Germain in 2001, with the North African having won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award two years previously.

He was influential as the Sky Blues won promotion to the Premier League under Kevin Keegan, but struggled to impose himself in the top flight.

He also represented AS Monaco, Bordeaux and Martigues, and was named Algerian footballer of the year in 2002.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Wilfried Bony

Bony was previously Africa’s most expensive player ever, costing Manchester City £28 million when he moved from Swansea City at the beginning of 2015.

However, he struggled for game time due to injuries and increased competition from Sergio Aguero and Iheanacho, and departed on a season-long loan to Stoke City on transfer deadline day as his Etihad Stadium career came to an end.

He subsequently moved back to Swansea City, and is currently with Eredivisie club NEC Nijmegen.

Getty8Emmanuel Adebayor

Adebayor has often been a polarising figure in world football.

It seems that, as soon as he starts to get the fans on his side, he does something that conjures up the ire of his supporters.

He has represented a host of high-profile clubs, including Spanish giants Real Madrid and Arsenal, among others, and departed the Gunners for Manchester City in 2009 for a fee believed to be about £25 million, making him, at one point, Africa's most expensive player.

He remained at the Etihad Stadium until 2011, when he joined Tottenham Hotspur.

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Getty7Bruce Grobbelaar

The Zimbabwe stopper is remembered as one of Africa’s finest goalkeepers in history…and is certainly the most successful.

He was a key man in one of Liverpool’s greatest sides, winning six titles and three domestic cups during his time at Anfield.

He was influential as the Reds won the European Cup in 1984, putting AS Roma’s strikers off with his infamous bandy legs in the final shootout.

Controversy around their security arrangements in India, batting issues and changes to the squad due to injury and form mean that Pakistan enter the 2016 World T20 in a weakened state

Umar Farooq15-Mar-20165:45

Ramiz: Pakistan will be mentally fatigued

Big pictureFor the first time, Pakistan will enter the World T20 a weakened side. Over the years, they have lost their Midas touch in the format and the unpredictability that was once a defining feature, is now merely a liability.Pakistan announced their World T20 squad in early February but then made changes to their squad due to injuries and form. The last of these changes was to bring Ahmed Shehzad back into the squad in place of Khurram Manzoor, who fared poorly in the Asia Cup. Their departure was delayed following concerns over the security situation in Dharamsala, where they were scheduled to play a match against India, and this cost them one practice match. The match against India was eventually moved to Kolkata and the team arrived on Saturday.An unsettled top order and an inconsistent middle order leaves them as one of the weaker teams in the Super 10s stage. They are not being seen as favourites but the senior players – Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Ahmed Shehzad – are all overdue for big performances.Pakistan’s biggest strength is the four-man pace attack, with Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Sami all capable of clocking speeds close to 150 kph. Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s coach, has, however, stressed that the batsmen will need to support the bowlers. The tracks in India, too, might work against Pakistan, as their specialist spin department is another weak link.Road to the World T20Pakistan are ranked No. 7, close to Sri Lanka at No. 8. Their performances in the last 12 months have been poor. They have nine out of 17 games, and five of those victories came against Zimbabwe and UAE. They lost series to England (3-0) and New Zealand (2-1) followed by a dismal Asia Cup where they lost crunch games against India and Bangladesh and failed to make the final.At the helmThis is Shahid Afridi’s second and final World T20 as captain; he previously led the team to a semi-final finish in the tournament in 2010. He took charge of the side after Mohammad Hafeez stepped down following the side’s exit in the group stage of the 2014 World T20. Afridi’s form has waned recently – in the Asia Cup, he scored two runs and took two wickets. Over the last 12 months, he has scored 173 runs in 15 innings at an average of 12.35 and has taken 12 wickets at 35.41. There were calls for a change in leadership after the Asia Cup but PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan refrained from making an alteration so close to the tournament.Key stats20Number of batsmen Pakistan have tried in the top three since 2012, the most for any team. They haven’t, however, been able to find a stable top order yet and their experiments in the Asia Cup only left the team with more questions.Umar Akmal’s T20 experience and form will be crucial to shore up a brittle Pakistan batting order•AFPLeading menMohammad Amir
The 2016 World T20 will be Mohammad Amir’s first ICC event since his return from a five-year suspension for spot-fixing in September 2015. He made his presence felt in the Asia Cup with a charismatic bowling show, particularly against India, and will be an important player for Pakistan.Ahmed ShehzadShehzad was first dropped from the World T20 squad and then added at the last minute after Khurram Manzoor failed in the Asia Cup. He has scored the most runs by a Pakistan opener in T20Is – 912 – but can be an inconsistent performer. He made his way back to the squad because the selectors were forced to revisit their original pick and the onus is now on Shehzad to produce the performances expected of him.Umar AkmalUmar Akmal has been in and out of Pakistan’s Test and ODI sides but is an important player in the side in T20 format. With 1611 runs in 75 matches at an average of 27.30, he is Pakistan’s highest run-getter in T20 internationals and fourth overall in the format. Currently he is in assured form – in the Asia Cup, for instance, he played a crucial 50 off 46 balls to help Pakistan overcome a scare from UAE. With the top order looking brittle, he has a vital role to give his side momentum with his flamboyant batting. In three World T20 appearances, he has scored 408 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 134.65.Burning questionCan Shahid Afridi sign-off with a bang?Afridi’s 20-year career has had exhilarating highs and excruciating lows, and he is now nearing the end of his international career. His career and extravagant persona have made a significant impact on Pakistan cricket. He brought the curtains down on his ODI career with a quiet 2015 World Cup and the World T20 is his chance to mark his remarkable career with a perfect farewell.World T20 historyThey finished runners-up in the inaugural edition in South Africa in 2007, losing to India in the final. In 2009, they won the title and finished semi-finalists in 2010 and 2012. In 2014, however, they failed to move beyond the group stage.In their own words”It’s a matter of the entire team clicking together and this is the only pattern of Pakistan winning a game. Gone are the days when one player stood up and finished off the game single-handedly. Now we need to perform as a unit, and every single player in the side has to play his role. We all know what to expect and who to expect, and the answer to every question is batting. And the day we manage to get consistent with the bat, we will become the best team in the world.”
Aakash Chopra on Pakistan’s strengths and weaknesses

Ryan Reynolds made a hilarious sex joke after ex-Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster claimed to be behind the huge spike in the city's birth rates.

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Foster claims responsibility for birth rate riseWrexham's January births up 24% Reynolds make funny sex joke remarkGetty/YouTubeWHAT HAPPENED?

Retired goalkeeper Foster, who helped Wrexham get promoted to League Two last year after a short stint in his second spell with the club, posted a video about how there had been 205 January births at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, up 40 from the same time last year. Club co-owner Reynolds leapt at the chance to comment on this, referencing the 'pull the goalie' phrase – which is when a couple stop taking birth control and have unprotected sex to make babies.

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Hollywood star Reynolds tweeted about Foster's video and wrote: "Normally this happens when you pull the goalie, not the other way around. Trust me."

Getty ImagesWHAT BEN FOSTER SAID

In a Fozcast video, Foster said: "It's come to the attention of the club [Wrexham] that in January the birth rate in Wrexham jumped nearly 25 per cent from this time last year – and I feel kind of responsible."

After promoting his new partnership with VistaPrint, he added: "So to all you Wrexham-loving parents, congratulations! Here is hoping to more babies next January. Welcome to the world, fellow Bens!"

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Getty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In different ways, both Reynolds and Foster have played a huge role in progressing the club of late. The Welsh side ended their 15-year stay in the National League by coming first in the division last season and now they are fighting to get promoted to League One, with the Red Dragons just outside the automatic promotion spots. While Foster retired for a second time at the start of this campaign, he will go down as a club hero and Reynolds is, arguably, approaching legendary territory since taking over the club three years ago with fellow actor Rob McElhenney.

Arsenal have been linked with a surprising move for struggling Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk in the summer.

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Mudryk originally wanted by ArsenalSigned for Chelsea but has struggledGunners interested alongside JuventusWHAT HAPPENED?

The Ukraine international was signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2022 for a staggering fee worth up to £89 million ($113m) including add-ons. Thus far Mudryk has come nowhere near living up to that price tag, with his most impressive showings arguably coming on his debut against Liverpool and during pre-season this term. Despite an underwhelming start to his Chelsea career, Arsenal are reportedly interested in bringing him to north London, according to Spanish outlet .

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The report notes that Chelsea will listen to offers for the 22-year-old winger, with a primary objective being a loan transfer to build up his development. However, the Blues could be interested in a permanent sale, where Arsenal and Serie A giants Juventus are listed as potential suitors. That said, Chelsea would look to recoup a significant portion of that £89m investment which, as the report acknowledges, would be difficult given Mudryk's recent performances.

DID YOU KNOW?

Arsenal, of course, were once seen as the primary location for Mudryk before his eventual switch to Chelsea. Mikel Arteta is thought to be a big fan from his Shakhtar playing days and only neglected to sign him after being usurped by the Blues' mammoth offer at the 11th hour. Videos had even been circling of Mudryk praising Arteta and wearing an Arsenal shirt.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MUDRYK?

Chelsea may hope their north London counterparts do them a favour as they did when signing Kai Havertz for a staggering £65m ($82m) last summer, and pay over-the-odds for another struggling forward. However, that eventuality would require Mudryk to build on his sorry tally of four goals in 26 appearances this term.

Hyderabad Sunrisers have now won five in five after routing Delhi Daredevils with 37 balls remaining

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran04-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Delhi Daredevils’ campaign is dead and buried•BCCIA couple of years ago, the Hyderabad Cricket Association had performed several at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal seeking divine intervention to change the fortunes of the home side which seemed to invariably lose at the venue. Whether it was India, the local Ranji side or the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, the Hyderabad crowd turned up only to see their side defeated.Whether it is due to the or not, the home side’s fortunes have certainly changed at the Uppal stadium. India won two Tests there this season, and the new franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad have now won five in five after routing Delhi Daredevils with 37 balls remaining.The bedrock of Sunrisers’ surprisingly successful season so far has been the bowling. Dale Steyn has bowled with frightening pace, Amit Mishra and Karan Sharma have used their googlies to flummox the batsmen, Thisara Perera has had plenty of success with both bat and ball and Ishant Sharma, usually so profligate in the limited-overs format, has been effective with the new ball. All of that came together perfectly as they hounded out Daredevils for 80, the lowest total of the season.Daredevils’ campaign had been on life support over the past week, with a couple of victories just about keeping them alive in the competition. Their chances are now dead and buried after their faltering batting failed once again. There were only four fours and one six in the entire innings, less than what AB de Villiers managed in a single over against Ashok Dinda earlier this week.Their openers survived a couple of pacy, probing overs from Steyn at the start before Asad Rauf gave a rough lbw decision to Mahela Jayawardene. Virender Sehwag followed soon after as he missed an indipper from Darren Sammy and lost his offstump. That left only David Warner among the big names, and though he was put down on 6, he couldn’t make it to double-digits as he misread a Mishra googly and was stumped by yards.The Sunrisers quicks had a plan on a track that was slow and had some variable bounce – they didn’t bowl anything full, giving nothing that could be driven easily. The surface also offered turn for the spinners, which both Mishra and Karan exploited.Daredevils had lengthened their batting with the inclusion of two overseas allrounders, Johan Botha and Jeevan Mendis, but it was to little avail. Mendis holed out to long-on, Botha top-edged to the keeper, and Irfan Pathan dragged on a Steyn delivery to the stumps. Daredevils went from 70 for 5 to 80 all out.Sunrisers major weakness is their frail batting, and the pitch was not a batting beauty but the target was too small for Daredevils’ bowlers to stand a real chance of defending it. Shikhar Dhawan made it seem like a flat track early on with some sumptuous shots, and though there were a few hiccups, Sunrisers maintained their 100% home record without too much trouble.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second ODI between England and India at The Rose Bowl

The Preview by Andrew Miller05-Sep-2011Match factsJames Anderson does the hard yards in training at The Rose Bowl•Getty ImagesSeptember 6, Rose Bowl
Start time 1400 (1300 GMT)Big PictureAt Chester-le-Street on Saturday, and at the sixth time of asking, India’s cricketers finally enjoyed the better of one of this season’s international tussles with England. However, with England on the ropes at 27 for 2, chasing 275, the victory that MS Dhoni’s men were surely anticipating was thwarted by the onset of grim autumnal weather, and the match finished as a dispiriting wash-out.Now, 48 hours later, the squads have relocated from the country’s northern-most venue to its most southerly, Hampshire’s Rose Bowl, where the series resumes in earnest at 0-0 with four to play. India’s resolve in the Durham opener was a timely reminder of the class they still exude in limited-overs cricket, even with an injury-ravaged squad that now includes Rohit Sharma, whose finger was broken by Stuart Broad on Saturday, and Sachin Tendulkar, who missed the match with a foot injury, and is flying home from the tour.However, England will recognise the errors that they made in that opening contest, and besides, their captain, Alastair Cook did not accept the widely-held view that his team would have lost had the match been played to a conclusion. Certainly, after the start that they enjoyed, in which England’s short-pitched approach was found out in a solid 82-run opening stand from Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane, India might have hoped to get closer to 300. However Tim Bresnan and the ever-improving Jade Dernbach regained a decent measure of control at the death.It is with the bat that England have rather more to prove. Cook’s own failure can be mitigated by the glut of runs he racked up in the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier in the year, but it is his opening partner, Craig Kieswetter, who is looking more of a problem. His stiff-armed technique was mercilessly probed by the swing of Praveen Kumar, and a return of 6 from 19 balls was not what England required from such a devastating striker of a cricket ball.A flatter track at the Rose Bowl could aid him in that respect, but with Kevin Pietersen rested for this series, and the youngster Ben Stokes still awaiting his first significant international innings, there’s a shortage of proven power-hitting to bolster England’s ambitions. If they want to be taken seriously as an ODI outfit – and that is one of Andy Flower’s stated aims since reaching the Test No.1 status – then the opportunity to get one over the 50-over World Champions is not something that England will want to pass up.Form guide (Most recent first)
England NWWWL
India NLLWWIn the spotlightEoin Morgan’s one-day pedigree is not exactly in doubt, but as England start to build towards the 2015 World Cup, it is increasingly clear how central to their plans he is going to be. This season began with the quiet confirmation of his vice-captaincy role in the Twenty20 team, and continued in Dublin last week with his first experience of leadership – a hard-fought victory in which his 59 earned the Man of the Match award. As for the coming contest, no England batsman is more at home at the Rose Bowl. In three appearances, he’s never made less than 43, and against Australia and Pakistan last summer, he bossed the games with a brace of brilliant unbeaten hundreds.Praveen Kumar’s joie de vivre was one of India’s few redeeming features in the Test series, but in the 50-over format, his hard-to-handle swing bowling looks like adding another degree of menace, particularly in English conditions. He bowled four of India’s 7.2 overs at Chester-le-Street, in which time he delivered 20 dot-balls and two key wickets, as neither Cook or Kieswetter found a viable method to negotiate him. With little pace on the ball, and substantial lateral movement to thwart any attempts at aggression, he has the ability to thrive in the Powerplay overs, so long as his impeccable line and length does not waver.Team newsGraeme Swann ought to be fit for selection after fighting a virus at Chester-le-Street. Ben Stokes, who dropped a catch at gully in his only meaningful contribution to that match, is likely to be given another chance to stake his claim in the middle order.England (possible) 1 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 2 Alastair Cook (capt), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Graeme Swann, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 James Anderson, 11 Jade DernbachRohit Sharma’s broken finger necessitates yet another middle-order rejig, although neither of the two batting replacements, Ravindra Jadeja nor Manoj Tiwary, have yet linked up with the squad, which means Amit Mishra – who impressed with the bat in the Test series – could feature. Tiwary could, at a pinch, be thrown into the game straight off his plane on Wednesday. Tendulkar’s absence means Rahane stays at the top of the orderIndia (possible) 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Parthiv Patel, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Amit Mishra, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Munaf Patel, 11 R Vinay KumarPitch and conditionsClear skies for the preview day, but there’s yet more rain forecast for the match itself. The pitch is hard and true, and potentially loaded with extra bounce, if the Sri Lanka Test is anything to go by.Stats and trivia India have played two previous internationals at The Rose Bowl … and the first came against Kenya in the Champions Trophy in 2004, when Rahul Dravid – the only survivor from that fixture – made 30 not out from 16 balls in a 98-run win England have played in six of the 12 ODIs at the venue, and have won four of them, including each of their last two games against Pakistan and Australia.Quotes”There is no point me trying to become something I’m not. I have to play to my strengths. I have to pick the gap like I do in Test cricket.”

Sri Lanka will not tour Pakistan unless they get security clearance, Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga has said

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2011Sri Lanka will not tour Pakistan unless they get security clearance, according to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Nishantha Ranatunga. The PCB had asked SLC for their views on playing the scheduled series between the two sides in Pakistan – at the insistence of the Pakistan government – but Sri Lanka’s concerns indicate the tour is very unlikely to happen.”We have received requests from Pakistan over the past three or four months,” Ranatunga said. “The PCB told us that they would like to host our team as scheduled in the FTP [Future Tours Programme]. We told them our stance that we need security clearance first before sending a team there again.”On Sunday night, a major terrorist attack in Karachi at a naval base – which was eventually held under siege overnight – near the National Stadium further diminished the possibility of Sri Lanka visiting. A PCB official privately conceded the chances of a visit after such an attack were now significantly reduced.On Sri Lanka’s last tour of Pakistan, the tourists’ team bus was attacked on its way to the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore, cutting the tour short. There has not been any international cricket in Pakistan since. Afghanistan will become the first international team to play in Pakistan next week when they take on Pakistan ‘A’ in three 50-over games, but the PCB were aiming at a higher profile home series.”We have sent them a fresh invite to play the series of three Tests, five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 match in Pakistan in October-November,” PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said on Sunday. “We are waiting for their response but we have given them full security assurances.” His comments came before the reports of the attack in Karachi.SLC interim committee chairman Somachandra de Silva said Sri Lanka responded to the Pakistani invitation saying that they are not going to play the series in Pakistan.”We have replied to the PCB and await their confirmation. We are not going to play in Pakistan at this stage and have offered to host the series in our country,” de Silva told the . “If they agree to play in Sri Lanka they will have to bear the entire hosting costs. We have also expressed our willingness to play at a neutral venue in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.”de Silva had earlier told that security clearance from a Pakistan Task Team, formed by the ICC in 2009, is essential before considering any tour of Pakistan. Ranatunga confirmed that there were several issues that need to be worked out before any series in Pakistan can take place.”Pakistan cricket is going through a difficult period, and we are keen to help them out as they are one of our best friends. But we have to consider the safety of our players,” Ranatunga said. “First we have to get the security clearance. Then only will we discuss it with the cricketers. You have to remember that most of them were victims of the previous attack.”The difficulties in Sri Lanka committing to a tour of Pakistan were put into sharp perspective on Tuesday by Mahela Jayawardene, who was on the bus during the attack and said he still suffers flashbacks. “We were very, very lucky to be alive at the end of it … We were angry that, as innocent people, we had been placed at such risk,” Jayawardene told the . “We know it’s difficult to prevent terrorism but we asked for security and didn’t get it. People died needlessly – and our wives back home were going crazy.”Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan was even more categorical and clearly stated that he won’t be going to Pakistan. “It was a bad experience for me as a cricketer in Pakistan. As a player, I don’t want to go through the same experience in the future,” Dilshan said on Wednesday. “My personal view, I don’t want to go back to play cricket there.”

Former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt was widely described as an “honest” and “hard-working” individual and ex-Pakistan leg-spinning great Abdul Qadir claimed him to be a person “with high morals”

Richard Sydenham at Southwark Crown Court20-Oct-2011Former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt was widely described as an “honest” and “hard-working” individual and ex-Pakistan leg-spinning great Abdul Qadir claimed him to be a person “with high morals”.The comments came as Butt’s defence closed by reading to the court a series character witness accounts. Those from former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson and from ex-Pakistan strength and conditioning coach David Dwyer were read out the previous evening.At the start of day 12 of the alleged spot-fixing trial in London, Butt’s solicitor Yasin Patel read out those from Qadir, one from his sister, his mother, from former Pakistan trainer Tauseef Razzaq and from an academy coach Azhar Zaidi. All were glowing references.”The Salman Butt that I know is honest, hardworking, truthful, fair, modest, loving, highly-respected, and with a firm commitment to the success of his team and his country,” Qadir said in his. “He supports and cares for all his family and is a young man who helps wherever he can do.”I was shocked about the allegations that were made against him and am surprised with the charges he faces,” Qadir added. “I do not believe he is capable of the acts with which he is charged,” before adding, “There have been many great players in the past and I believe this young man is destined to achieve much in the future.”After these were finished being read out, it was then the turn of Mohammad Asif to take to the witness stand.Butt and Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments following the Lord’s Test last year when they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed, teenager Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.

A round-up of the first day’s play from the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy Elite League

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-2012A vigilant, unbeaten 82 from Aakash Chopra, aided ably by Dishant Yagnik helped Rajasthan recover from a vulnerable position against Hyderabad and finish the first day at 220 for 5 in Uppal.Rajasthan’s decision to make first use of the pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium ran into early trouble against Hyderabad’s spirited new-ball bowlers. Anwar Ahmed struck in the very first over of the match, removing Vineet Saxena for a first-ball duck. Pagadala Naidu too made a quick impact, getting Hrishikesh Kanitkar to nick behind to make it 8 for 2. The in-form Robin Bist suggested a recovery, but he too was dismissed soon, by left-arm spinner Lalith Mohan, as the defending champions slumped.Chopra battled through the tough times, before dragging his side out of the rut with three partnerships. The first two, with Rashmi Parida and Puneet Yadav for company, averted the danger of a collapse, but it was the third – an unbroken 91 with Yagnik for the sixth wicket – that pushed his side towards parity. Parida and Yadav both perished after making starts, with the former falling to left-arm spinner Mehdi Hassan who conceded only 13 runs in his 12-over spell. Mohan trapped Yadav in front for 33, to leave Rajasthan 129 for 5 before the Chopra-Yagnik show began. Chopra scored just six fours in his dogged innings that lasted 272 balls and counting. The senior partner played second fiddle to Yagnik, who was more adventurous in scoring his 60 off 130 balls, with seven hits to the boundary. The pair will be keen to extend their association into the second day, and push Rajasthan towards a safe first-innings total.Maharashtra ground their way towards a decent total, reaching a solid 202 for 4 on the first day against Tamil Nadu at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Maharashtra’s progress was founded upon a 116-run opening stand between Harshad Khadiwale and Chirag Khurana, though the hosts will be pleased with the extent to which they managed to claw back into contention by stumps.The openers departed in quick succession after building Maharashtra an impressive platform. Khadiwale’s 61 came off 157 balls and featured eight fours, while Khurana missed out on a half-century, falling to Aushik Srinivas for 44. Thereafter, No. 3 batsman Sangram Atitkar guided Maharashtra with an unbeaten half-century. Tamil Nadu made two more breaches at the other end, with Srinivas ending the day with figures of 2 for 64, though he was guilty of bowling eight no-balls. Maharashtra’s go-slow approach meant L Balaji and Yo Mahesh boasted economy-rates close to 1.5 runs per over. The slow rate of scoring also means that quick strikes on the second morning will allow the hosts to claim control.Haryana, on the back of a haul of 8 for 40 from 21-year-old Harshal Patel, took control against Karnataka at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Karnataka chose to bat first on a pitch that had a dark tinge and came up against an inspired Haryana attack. While Harshal kept the batsmen guessing at one end – he got some balls to move away, while others held their line – and invariably snared them, the other bowlers kept things tight. They were backed up by their captain, Amit Mishra, who set attacking fields all through. Harshal, who is in his debut season in first-class cricket, finished with what are the best figures in the Ranji Elite season so far.Robin Uthappa settled down and looked like the only Karnataka batsman to have any measure of the bowling in an attacking innings of 35, but it did little to help Karnataka. The hosts did not get any relief even when they took to the field, as Haryana’s openers, Nitin Saini and Rahul Dewan, batted out 38 overs and struck unbeaten half-centuries. They went to stumps only 31 behind, with all ten wickets intact.Harshal spoke to ESPNcricinfo at the end of the day’s play. Click here for more.At the Holkar Stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh’s fast bowlers fought back with relentless discipline, after their batsmen displayed poor application against an average Mumbai attack, on a wicket that demanded it. Click here for the full report of the day’s action.