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Ipswich have already made a few additions to their squad since the end of the 12/13 season, but the club may well have to wait a while before making any more.

It is strongly rumored that financial fair play rules are preventing the club from making any more additions as new signings would stretch the current wage bill past what is allowed based on The Tractor Boys revenue.

This news is surprising as the current Ipswich squad is not overly big and they do not have any particularly great players. However, it is thought that both Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Micheal Chopra are on large contracts that are holding the club back in the transfer market.

When the two players were first signed by the club they had good reputations and looked as though they would be solid purchases for a Championship side. I think the club were desperate for players at the time and had more money than sense, which allowed players to negotiate good contracts for themselves at the clubs expense.

Although neither player will be considered a success at the club, JET is not causing the club as many problems as Chopra. The former Arsenal youngster isn’t paid as much as Chopra and it will be much easier to offload JET onto another club.

JET would be a useful signing for a lot of Championship sides and would only have to take a minor pay cut in order to move on.

The former Cardiff man on the other hand will struggle to find a club willing to take him. Chopra has been poor as a player and as a professional of late so I can’t see many teams that would be happy to pay anything close to what he is on at Ipswich. He has been linked with a few foreign clubs but a move abroad is unlikely as it would prevent him from visiting his young son that lives with his ex-wife.

It is an unfortunate situation for Mick McCarthy as he has inherited a squad weighed down by decisions that were made long before he arrived. Signing Chopra was a huge mistake, giving him a highly paid and lengthy contract was an even bigger one.

When Ipswich made the signing, either nobody thought about the possibility of Chopra failing as a player or they were so desperate that they decided to take a huge risk that didn’t pay off.

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Regardless, that doesn’t change the current situation. Ipswich need to somehow find a club that has a lot more money than sense to sign their dead weight before they can make any decent moves themselves. It will be a frustrating time for the fans but they will have to hope that McCarthy make it work even if nobody does sign Chopra.

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With Australia set to tour Pakistan in February-March next year, PSL looking at a likely window in April and May

Umar Farooq12-Jul-2021The PSL is facing a scheduling challenge for the 2022 season, as Pakistan hope to welcome a landmark home series against Australia in the window usually occupied by the T20 competition. The PSL has been conducted between February and March since its inception in 2016, but with Australia’s visit in mind, April-May is being considered as a window. That means it could be played at the same time as the IPL.The current FTP was negotiated for Pakistan by the previous board administration and during the time it was being worked on, concerns had started to emerge about the league and its scheduling impact on Pakistan’s international season. But the board was balancing a return to Pakistan for all its international cricket with the needs of a young league at the time. Australia’s visit is an especially significant one in the board’s efforts to play all its home cricket in Pakistan, because they have not toured since 1998-99.Related

• PCB, PSL to settle financial dispute out of court

• PSL franchises seek legal action against PCB over financial model

• Ehsan Mani set to continue as PCB chairman

The board needs around 47 days to stage the entire season and there is, potentially, another window available from December 25 to February 15. But that could hurt foreign player participation since those from the top-five countries will be busy with national duty.Another reason the PCB is not keen on this option is a limited availability of venues. Karachi will be the only city suitable to play cricket during those months while Punjab and three other venues in Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi will experience extreme fog, which has left the board looking for a window past the month of March.At the same time, the board and the six PSL franchises remain locked in trying to agree on a tournament financial model that both sides are happy with. They have already been at loggerheads over it with the franchises taking the board to court, claiming that it is getting richer while they keep losing money.The Lahore High Court had made both parties sit together and directed PCB to “formally redress the grievances of all franchises” and “revise the model of PSL in accordance with its statutory mandate and make it financially viable”. Currently, all six teams, even though their annual rights fees range from USD 1.1 million to USD 6.35 million, get an equal share of the revenue every season.ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB has formed a panel with an independent consultant and a retired judge in Tassaduq Hussain Jillani – who is also a former Chief Justice of Pakistan – to resolve this issue. The judge has already got the work started by sending all six franchises a lengthy questionnaire assessing their finances, with a deadline of Friday. Jillani will then submit a report with his recommendations to the PCB.The PSL is also set to reassess the value of its assets this year before selling its commercial and broadcasting rights. The last three-year cycle for the TV and digital streaming rights, worth approximately USD 36 million, has come to an end this year.The PCB is set to hire an independent consultant to evaluate the value of the brand and to sell the rights. In the previous cycle, PCB had managed to secure a 358% rise in their new broadcast deal.

Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim also gained after Bangladesh’s sweep of West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2021Bangladesh offspinner Mehidy Hasan and Ireland batsman Paul Stirling have made notable gains in the ODI rankings for bowlers and batsmen, respectively, after the latest round of bilateral engagements. Shakib Al Hasan, who returned to international cricket after a one-year ban during Bangladesh’s series against West Indies, also moved up two places to No. 13 among bowlers.Mehidy, who was the highest wicket-taker against West Indies with seven strikes – including a career-best 4 for 25 in the second ODI – has climbed up nine spots to No. 4, while Stirling’s three centuries in his last five ODIs against the UAE and Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi helped him rise eight steps to No. 20 among batsmen. His 131 not out against UAE was followed by scores of 128 and 118 against Afghanistan, though all three knocks came in losses.ICC ODI Bowling Rankings•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Shakib, meanwhile, was just behind Mehidy with six wickets against West Indies – four of which came in the first ODI. In other gains for Bangladesh, left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman – who also claimed six wickets in the three matches – has jumped 11 spots to No. 8 among bowlers, while wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, captain Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mohammad Saifuddin also made slight gains in the charts.Though West Indies comprehensively lost all three ODIs against Bangladesh, Alzarri Joseph moved up by 11 places up to No. 34 among bowlers.

Logie takes over the role from former Barbados batsman Henderson Springer

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2019Gus Logie, the former West Indies batsman, has been named the head coach of West Indies Women on an interim basis as Cricket West Indies begins their recruitment process for a full-time head coach.Logie takes over the role from former Barbados batsman Henderson Springer, who will continue to assist CWI’s coaching education programs.Logie, who has been the assistant coach of the women’s team since 2017, will guide the side’s preparations for India Women’s tour of the West Indies next month. India are scheduled to play three ODIs and five T20Is from November 1 to November 20, with matches to be played in Antigua, St Lucia and Guyana.”Gus has a long history with West Indies cricket, both as a player and as a coach,” Jimmy Adams, the CWI director of cricket said via a press release. “He has been a part of the women’s team for the last two years and knows the players’ techniques and skillsets. I have no doubt he will continue his hard work in preparing the team for India Women and then the T20 World Cup next year.”We are extremely grateful to Hendy for his contribution to the women’s program over the last two years and we will continue to exploit his prior experience within coaching education.”Apart from that, Evril Betty Lewis was named the new team manager of women and girls’ cricket after interim manager Anne Browne-John was appointed the lead selector for the outfits.

Ollie Rayner was loaned out by Middlesex after a poor season, but two wickets suggested he might yet lighten Hampshire’s spin crisis

ECB Reporters Network22-Jun-2018
ScorecardOllie Rayner grabbed his first two Hampshire wickets but Yorkshire kept the game in the balance by taking a slender two-run deficit into the final day.Offspinner Rayner only joined Hampshire on loan at the beginning of the week, having been dropped from Middlesex’s squad to face Leicestershire, to cover injuries for Mason Crane and Brad Taylor, along with England Lions’ Liam Dawson.And while Dawson performed an impressive four wicket haul on international duty, Rayner deputised with skill during a six over spell of 2 for 4.Yorkshire had been given the entire 35 overs of the night session to eat away at Hampshire’s 93-run first innings lead, after Gareth Berg’s fifty with the tail, and start to rebuild an advantage of their own.Alex Lees, having only scored 10 runs in his previous five Specsavers County Championship innings this season, started off with vigour, taking Fidel Edwards for four boundaries in his first over.Opening partner Adam Lyth was more circumspect with his 17 but became Rayner’s first Hampshire wicket as he tentatively left his bat outside off stump to edge to keeper Tom Alsop.Exactly two overs later, Rayner was celebrating again when he had Lees lbw to a straight delivery, for a confidence building 39.Yorkshire ended the day with key batsmen Gary Ballance, who scored a century in the first innings, and Indian’s Test star Cheteshwar Pujara unbeaten on 18 and 14.Earlier, Jimmy Adams and Tom Alsop started the day looking to build on their 132 and 62 not outs – but the latter could only add a single before departing in the second over of the day.The left hander was plumb lbw to Brooks – ending a slow paced 179-run stand, from a mammoth 67.2 overs.The run scoring remained hard going throughout the morning session, with accurate bowling with a difficult to get away soft pink ball offering nothing to either side.Adams in particular struggled to get going again on the third day, only managing 15 runs in 85 minutes before he was undone by extra bounce from Tim Bresnan and was caught behind for a season high 147.Hampshire tiptoed to 300 as they managed to reach a third batting point with seven balls of the spare before Brooks had Ian Holland, after a patient 31 caught, and Steven Patterson dismissed Ollie Rayner for a duck both caught behind.Just as Yorkshire sniffed a first innings lead, Kyle Abbott and Berg added 74 in a frustrating eighth wicket stand – with the all-rounders accelerating the run-rate.Berg was left stranded unbeaten on 84, with Hampshire bowled out for 443 and boasting a strong lead of 93.

Spin limited Rajasthan Royals to 160 and an aggressive batting approach then helped Kolkata Knight Riders chase down their target with six balls remaining

The Report by Nikhil Kalro18-Apr-2018
3:05

Tait: Royals lacked intensity with the ball

Kolkata Knight Riders have banked on a traditional modus operandi, but have also adopted a new approach this season. Spin, their longtime asset, first limited Rajasthan Royals to 160 on a sluggish surface. Their aggressive batting strategy then helped them chase down that target with ease, with seven wickets in hand. The win took them to the top of the points table.Sunil Narine conceded 48 runs in four overs, his most expensive returns in the IPL. But the rest of the spinners – Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav and Nitish Rana – conceded 52 runs off 10 overs and took four wickets. Brisk cameos were all Knight Riders required in a middling chase. Narine, Robin Uthappa, Rana and Dinesh Karthik all scored at a strike rate of at least 125 to ensure there were no flutters in the end.

Short: Pace v spin

D’Arcy Short scored 572 runs in 11 matches, with a highest score of 122*, in the 2017-18 Big Bash League. Almost all of those runs were made on hard, bouncy pitches. On slower pitches in India, his batting hasn’t quite adapted.He began his IPL career with two run-outs followed by a 17-ball 11 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a team total of 217. On Wednesday, Short struggled against spin, neither making decisive forward movements to smother the turn nor using the depth of the crease to play the ball late. Eventually, he was bowled by Nitish Rana’s part-time offspin for 44 off 43 balls. He made 26 off 15 balls against pace, but just 18 off 28 against spin. It was Ajinkya Rahane, unexpectedly, who gave Royals what little early impetus they had, scoring 36 off 19 including four successive fours off Narine’s first over.1:36

Coach’s Diary: Analysing Royals’ batting (dis)order

A stuttering finish

Royals had used up the first 10 overs to set a platform, scoring 71 for 2 in that period. Short and Rahul Tripathi then scored 24 runs off the next two overs. Just when they seemed set to launch, with a strong middle order to follow, the innings fell away.Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler were forced to stabilise the innings after Short and Tripathi fell against spin. Two quiet overs followed. Then, Stokes holed out at the start of the 17th over against Chawla. Three more wickets would fall as Royals limped to 160 for 8, having managed just 65 off the last eight overs. This despite Narine’s unusual profligacy.

Knight Riders’ batting approach

In an interview during the first innings, Chris Lynn had said batsmen would need to play “with a vertical bat” on this slow, low pitch. His first ball was a punch to mid-off with a straight bat. Off his next ball against K Gowtham’s flat darts, he made himself room and missed a cut, a shot fraught with risk on a pitch with variable – and often low – bounce. A two-ball duck put Knight Riders under pressure.But, as has been the case right through the season, their top order was bent on counter-attacking. It worked again. Narine and Uthappa added 69 for the second wicket off 49 balls. Rana then struck an unbeaten 35 off 27 balls with no pressure of a rising required rate and Karthik finished the innings with a 23-ball 42. With the plausibility of false shots and wrong decisions under pressure, chases with an asking rates of over eight can often get close in T20s, but Knight Riders’ tactics meant they had plenty of room for error. None were made in a clinical finish.

Peter Nevill has defended his delayed stumping of Dimuth Karunaratne on day four of the Colombo Test match, while Sri Lanka have indicated they would have done the same

Daniel Brettig16-Aug-2016Australia’s wicketkeeper Peter Nevill has defended his delayed stumping of Dimuth Karunaratne on day four of the Colombo Test match, while Sri Lanka have indicated they would have done the same.Nevill successfully appealed for Karunaratne’s wicket after hovering with his glove next to the stumps as he waited for the batsman to switch his feet and momentarily leave the crease, following a Nathan Lyon delivery that had beaten the bat.The dismissal was cause for a range of reactions, with some questioning the dismissal’s acceptability in the spirit of cricket. However, Nevill had absolutely no qualms about claiming the wicket, saying it reflected the simple reality that batsmen needed to stay in their crease.”I thought he was going to move his foot out of his crease and he did,” Nevill said. “You might’ve seen on the footage, I had my hand right by the stumps waiting for that to happen, and it did happen and just worked out well that the timing was just right that it was out.”Well there’s always people who are going to say something like that [it went against the spirit of the game] but I don’t think it’s contrary to the spirit of cricket. If you don’t want to get stumped stay in your crease. You can sort of see, a shifting of weight and you’re expecting the back foot to come up. That’s the hunch I had and that’s what happened. Just managed to get the bails off in time.”Nevill said he had been able to dismiss a batsman in that manner at least once before, in a second XI match. Footage of other similar dismissals effected by Alec Stewart against Brian Lara and Sri Lanka’s Romesh Kaluwitharana against Darren Lehmann emerged over the course of the day.”It’s happened a few times, in a second XI game in Australia there was one where the guy jumped after he played his shot,” Nevill said. “I know Hadds [Brad Haddin] has tried to do it a million times as well, so I think that’s rubbed off on me.”Sri Lanka batsman Kaushal Silva said his side would take the opportunity if roles were reversed. “We don’t know if we will get a chance to effect that kind of dismissal, but if we do, we would have to take that opportunity,” he said. “I don’t see it as a wrong thing. But you can’t also take wickets in a way that is against the spirit of the sport. That said, there’s no problem if it’s done the right way.”

Anil Kumble remained coy about Ravi Shastri being overlooked, but was more comfortable talking about his own role in his first press conference as India’s head coach

Sidharth Monga in Bangalore29-Jun-2016The last time Anil Kumble was part of an India camp was at his home ground, M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, in 2008. Two men were under immense pressure to keep their places in the side: Captain Kumble and former captain Sourav Ganguly. Just before the series both had struggled in Sri Lanka: Ganguly had scored 96 runs in six innings, and Kumble had taken eight wickets for 400 runs in three Tests. Just before the home series against Australia, Kumble answered in the negative when asked about retirements. A few days later, Ganguly announced this series was to be his last, and an injured Kumble ended his career even before Ganguly.Eight years later, Kumble and Ganguly have emerged as an unlikely duo shepherding the Indian team from the management perspective. Unlike Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, Ganguly has turned out to be pretty hands-on as a state association president and a member of the cricket advisory committee. Kumble, too, has had a stint as a state association president, actually winning an election, willing to put his reputation on the line by entering the contest. Now Ganguly is believed to have played a key role in getting Kumble as the coach of Indian team.Sitting in the same spot that Ganguly had been in when he uttered words that still resonate – “just one last thing lads, before I leave, I just want to say that this is going to be my last series,” Kumble was asked for his opinion on the way Shastri had been overlooked. Shastri had alleged Ganguly was not even present to interview him when he made his presentation. The underlying suggestion being that the decision had already been made before the interview process.Kumble was a relentless bowler, always at the batsman, but here he did a good impression of leaving this swinging ball alone outside off. “I was the first one to call Ravi after I was chosen as head coach,” Kumble said. “He did a wonderful job with the Indian team. It is not about Anil or Ravi, it is not about the head coach. It is about the players, it is about the team. And from my point of view, whether it is me or Ravi or any Indian, we all want the Indian team to do well. We all want the Indian team to perform at its best. We all believe that there is potential for the Indian team to be the best in all three formats.”And If I’m part of the journey, that’s all I have to say. He congratulated me. I told him it’s a fantastic team, a young team that we have. It could be someone else tomorrow [in place of me]. I’m not permanent in this role. I have an opportunity to make a difference. I have an opportunity to be part of the journey and if I can be part of the journey where we see Indian cricket rise to where we all want it to be, then I think it’s wonderful. I feel privileged, like I already mentioned. And an honour again to be a part of the team.”Kumble was more comfortable and open talking about his own role. At the outset he repeated that he and his support staff were going to be in the background, that his legendary status as a cricketer himself was not going to overpower his team. About his preferred support staff – Sanjay Bangar and Abhay Sharma as batting and fielding coach are temporary appointments for the upcoming West Indies tour – Kumble didn’t reveal much except that he was keen to work with the bowlers himself. A fast-bowling coach couldn’t be ruled out, though.”At this point in time, I thought I can get close to the bowlers, for a start,” Kumble said. “Yes, we are considering options, I don’t want to say what because this is my first trip as coach with the team and I’d like to observe and try and see how the team is shaping up. At this point in time, I thought that with the bowlers, it is the strategy that I can certainly play a part of and that’s something which I am looking at, trying to get closer to the bowlers, understanding what their needs are and then looking at probably bringing in, if you are looking at a fast bowling coach I think is what you are trying to say. There are considerations that I am thinking of but at this point, I don’t know if it will be possible to take someone to the West Indies. If that doesn’t happen, then certainly I am keen to look at the bowlers. I feel that that is certainly an area where I can contribute a lot more.”Kumble was asked what he, as a player, used to look for in a coach. The answer to this was the most definitive in his 20-minute press conference. “As a coach, all I sought was organised preparations for the team and informed inputs to the captain and the team to strategise better. Inclusive of every player. You have to include every player. It’s not about just the 11 who are to play. Also abut the six or seven who are not going to play.”That’s something I sought as a player because it was not always that I played in every team that played for India during my time. I was dropped, I was not chosen for tours. So I understand [what it means to] be the most important member in the team to being dropped. I understand all of that, I understand that communication at such times is very critical. For the coach to pick up the phone and send the message, ‘Don’t worry you are still part of the team.’ That’s what I will look to do. Hopefully I will be able to succeed in telling people who are part of the system that they will always be part of it.”Kumble had earlier remarked it felt a little odd being interviewed by three of his long-time team-mates. Having stepped into the team atmosphere, though, Kumble doesn’t feel odd at all. “Obviously you know the roles and boundaries as a coach,” Kumble said. “Other than that it’s no different. All of us want Indian cricket to be doing really well, and these are exciting times. I feel privileged to be a part of that journey, and in whatever way I can help Indian cricket achieve that. It was no different walking into a meeting room with the entire team, although the faces were different. I’ve played with some of them; I’ve mentored a couple of them in various capacities. To be back in the changing room is always special.”

Steven Smith has aired his concerns about playing a pink ball Test at the Gabba, despite the fact the Brisbane match against Pakistan is locked in while Adelaide Oval’s fixture remains unresolved due to South African hesitance

Daniel Brettig23-May-2016Australia’s captain Steven Smith has aired his concerns about playing a pink-ball Test at the Gabba, despite the fact that the Brisbane match against Pakistan is locked in while Adelaide Oval’s fixture remains unresolved due to South African hesitance.Casting an eye towards the Gabba match against Pakistan next summer, Smith said he expected the faster pitch and subtropical conditions to pose multiple challenges for the competing teams. This is particularly true for batsmen on both sides, as they will have to cope with a ball that is likely to swing and seam even more than it did in Adelaide.Representatives of the PCB were present for the inaugural day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide last summer, and agreed to play the match in Brisbane notwithstanding the markedly different conditions likely to be at play. South Africa, meanwhile, have baulked at a pink-ball match even though Adelaide is Smith’s preferred venue for it.”I think it worked well last year, playing the one Test at Adelaide Oval,” Smith said of the move towards multiple day-night matches. “I personally believe that’s the best place to play a day-night Test match. We’ve got one game at the Gabba this year so it will be interesting to see how that goes. I still think we need plenty of development with the ball.”I think it’s just a little bit different with the ball and the humidity that is quite often around in Brisbane. [It] Could be very difficult for the batters, particularly if there is to be grass left on the wicket so I guess there is only one way to see how it’s going to go and we have an opportunity to do that against Pakistan this year.”It worked well in Adelaide last year. We were [playing on] 2mm of grass away from it being a four-day game instead of a three-day game. I think it’s certainly a place that it can be successful and I’d be happy to play another pink-ball game at Adelaide Oval.”Smith’s mixed feelings about the pink-ball Test reflect those of many players, who agree the spectacle witnessed in Adelaide last year was on a scale worth pursuing while retaining reservations about the ball and the variation in conditions. The concept’s momentum has grown in recent months as other countries become interested; most recently the ECB chairman Colin Graves expressed an eagerness to host day-night Tests in England.”Cricket Australia is keen to get as many pink-ball games in as possible,” Smith said. “You only have to look at the spectacle last year at Adelaide, it was absolutely remarkable the amount of viewers at the game and on television as well so I think it’s certainly a step forward and we have to keep improving as much as we can to make sure that the game can survive. I think it’s a great game of cricket and we have to just continue to get it right as much as possible.”I think the players have to buy into it as well. In the end, we are the ones out there doing the job and it is our job so we have to make sure it’s right for us and we want to win as much as possible and we have to find a way to do that with the pink ball. There was obviously an amazing Test match last year and we were able to get over the line at the end, which I think is the most important thing from my aspect and we have to keep looking at ways to be successful with the pink ball.”

Allrounder Darren Stevens said that full payments from the Comilla Victorians franchise, made before the due date, had given the team’s players more confidence in their tournament-winning campaign

Mohammad Isam16-Dec-2015Allrounder Darren Stevens said that full payments from the Comilla Victorians franchise, made before the due date, had given the team’s players more confidence in their tournament-winning campaign. Stevens was also hopeful he could recover part of a pending payment from the 2013 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League.Stevens is one of two players – Mashrafe Mortaza is the other one – to have played all three BPL editions. Stevens played for Dhaka Gladiators, who were champions in 2012 and 2013, before turning out for Comilla this season. Dhaka were led by Mashrafe in the last two editions, and he captained Comilla to victory on Tuesday.Stevens praised Comilla for paying the players well before time, and believes this will enhance the image of the tournament in the future. Unpaid player salaries was one of the significant issues the tournament faced in its first two editions. FICA, the international players’ federation had advised against future participation in the BPL after the first two tournaments, because of prolonged non-payment of fees.”Comilla had a very professional management group who looked after the players,” Stevens told ESPNcricinfo. “A huge positive was the fact that the payments were made in full before the tournament ended. The contract stated that we would get the last 25% after the tournament, but they paid us much before the deadline.”I think it is a big thing and, as far as I know, everybody in our team got paid in full. It is a huge compliment to Nafeesa [Kamal] and the Comilla team. Massive thanks to them. It gives confidence to the players and is a bonus for players who will come to the play BPL in the future knowing that the franchises make payments in due time.”The BPL’s policy, like the 2013 edition, is to clear 50% of all player payments before the tournament begins, 25% during the tournament, and the rest within one month of the tournament’s final, which in this case will be January 15, 2016.Stevens wasn’t the only one to note that some franchises had paid their players in time. Barisal Bulls have been known to pay most of their foreign players on time, while Mashrafe shared a similar opinion about Comilla. Shahid Afridi, who turned out for the Sylhet Super Stars, however, suggested some players were not happy and had told him they had not received their payments.Angus Porter, CEO of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, welcomed the news that player payments in this season’s BPL have been done properly.”If Darren’s experience is reflective of those of players across all the BPL franchises, that is very welcome news,” he said.Stevens, however, said he is still waiting for payment from the previous edition of the BPL and stated that he had asked the BCB this time to clear his dues. Sri Lanka batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan had also previously complained of delayed payment of match fees by the Dhaka Gladiators franchise.”It is disappointing for us players who still didn’t get paid by the BCB for the 2013 tournament,” Stevens said. “I am still supposed to be paid $13,000 from 2013. I have been asking about the money when I have been to Mirpur. I am hopeful that I will get the money in time.”Stevens said that being a part of the winning side for the third consecutive time was like a dream to him. He made his second appearance in a BPL final on Tuesday and gave Comilla a breakthrough by removing Seekkuge Prasanna early in Barisal Bulls’ innings.”It was a dream come true. You go through whole careers and you win one trophy at most, sometimes you don’t win at all,” he said. “So to win it three times, that’s what dreams are made of. When you are leaving Bangladesh, it is a special moment knowing you have won the tournament again.”