A round-up of the seventh round of Ranji Trophy’s Group B matches on December 15, 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2012
ScorecardHaryana’s Mohit Sharma moved one wicket behind leader Sandeep Sharma of Punjab with his third five-for of the season, against Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow. Haryana asked UP to bat and Mohit made the initial breakthroughs, sending back the openers for not much. The allrounder Joginder Sharma marked his return following an accident last year by having Mohammad Kaif caught behind to reduce UP to 63 for 3. Suresh Raina (49) and Parvinder Singh (32) staged a mini-recovery before Harshal Patel dismissed the duo. Mohit cleaned up the tail to finish with 5 for 47 as UP were bowled out for 227. Ankit Rajpoot sent back Abhimanyu Khod in the fourth over of Haryana’s innings which closed on 32 for 1 at stumps.
ScorecardYo Mahesh was another quick bowler who picked up a five-for but Baroda’s last-wicket pair salvaged the innings to some extent against Tamil Nadu. The hosts were sent in to bat on a Moti Bagh pitch which aided seam movement and lost regular wickets to be limping on 128 for 9 at one stage. Ambati Rayudu, the Baroda captain, was the only specialist batsman to make a score of note, his 54 taking Baroda past 100. The Nos 10 and 11, Murtuja Vahora and Bhargav Bhatt, added 63 runs in a stand stretching over 21 overs to take Baroda towards 200.
ScorecardDelhi’s five-man all-seam attack ran through the Maharashtra line-up at the Roshanara Club ground. Sumit Narwal led with three strikes while Pawan Suyal and Pradeep Sangwan picked up two each after Delhi chose to bowl. Ankit Bawne was the only man to get a half-century while Shrikant Mundhe contributed 42 down the order. Samad Fallah produced two beauties to get rid of Unmukt Chand and Mohit Sharma cheaply when Delhi came out to bat after tea. Shikhar Dhawan, the Delhi captain, ran himself out attempting a tight single and it was left to Mithun Manhas and Vaibhav Rawal to carry Delhi to 60 for 3 by stumps.
ScorecardLokesh Rahul, the former India Under-19 batsman, made his maiden first-class century in Mysore as Karnataka posted a commanding 308 for 2 against Vidarbha. The wicketkeeper CM Gautam made the most of a promotion in the order to get a hundred himself. Karnataka shrugged off an indifferent beginning as Rahul and Gautam put on an unbroken 256 for the third wicket. Vidarbha, who used as many as nine bowlers, were left to rue their decision to field. Both batsmen came together after Robin Uthappa and Ganesh Satish fell cheaply. The duo scored at similar rates and put Karnataka on top.

Darren Beazley has been named as chief executive of the USA Cricket Association

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2012Darren Beazley, former general manager of business development with the Western Australia Cricket Association, has been confirmed as the new chief executive of the USA Cricket Association. He will take up the post in February and will be based in Florida.Tim Anderson, the ICC’s global development manager, and a member of the sub-committee tasked with finding a suitable candidate, expressed hopes that Beazley would be able to bring a greater sense of professionalism to cricket in the United States and satisfy ICC ambitions for growth in the region.Anderson said: “It is critical that cricket continues its growth path globally and helping ICC Associate and Affiliate Members put in place more professional management structures is an important corner stone in that progression.”Having been appointed through a highly competitive recruitment process, Darren will now
have a key role – together with the USACA Board – in developing such a structure for cricket in the USA.”USACA has not had someone working in the position full-time since Don Lockerbie was dismissed in November 2010, although Nabeel Ahmed, a former vice president, has acted as interim CEO since April.Beazley’s experience in sports administration includes periods as chief operating officer of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships and as general manager of strategic partnerships with the Australian Rules side Fremantle Dockers.Gladstone Dainty, president of USACA, said: “This appointment marks a key moment for the growth and development of cricket in the United States as USACA looks to take better advantage of the sport’s widening global appeal for men, women and youth.”The appointment of a competent and motivated chief executive to lead our operations was
a vital component of an action plan agreed by the USACA Board during 2012, and after
completing a rigorous recruitment process, I’m delighted that someone with Darren’s skills
and experience has agreed to join us.”The Board can now focus on developing policy and relationships with partners who share
our vision for the success of cricket in the USA.”Beazley said: “Cricket has always been a major part of my life and I am therefore thrilled to have the opportunity to assist its growth and improvement in one of the most important emerging markets in the world today.”I look forward to leading USACA’s national efforts, as well as working closely with the
member leagues, clubs and partners to ensure cricket’s vast potential in the US is realized.”There is a rich, diverse and long history of cricket in the US. One of my first key projects
will be to talk to a wide selection of league presidents, stakeholders and partners about that
history and the future. My hope is that this will help encourage the levels of collaboration
and compliance critical for the development of the game at all levels and in all forms in the
US.”

Rain ended any hope of a result at Blacktown Oval in Sydney, where only ten overs were bowled on the final day between New South Wales and Western Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2013
Scorecard
Rain ended any hope of a result at Blacktown Oval in Sydney, where only ten overs were bowled on the final day between New South Wales and Western Australia. The Blues finished the third day needing two wickets to end the Warriors’ second innings and set up a potentially small chase, but their hopes were thwarted by the weather and they had to settle for first-innings points.When play finally began, Western Australia added only eight runs to their overnight total and finished on 8 for 219 when the match was called off, with debutant Ashton Agar unbeaten on 34 and Jason Behrendorff on 7. Steve O’Keefe ended up with 4 for 47 in the second innings and match figures of 8 for 102, a career-best analysis.

Alastair Cook and Nick Compton struck centuries as they committed themselves to righting the wrongs of England’s first-innings batting debacle

The Report by David Hopps08-Mar-2013
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAlastair Cook and Nick Compton outstripped England’s first-wicket record against New Zealand, the 223 previously set by Graeme Fowler and Chris Tavare at The Oval in 1983•Getty Images

Alastair Cook and Nick Compton struck centuries as they committed themselves to righting the wrongs of England’s first-innings batting debacle. But that told only half the story. For Cook, a 24th Test hundred, timed to perfection with the new ball still five overs away, was simply a restatement of his undoubted quality. For Compton, the final stages of a maiden Test hundred possessed all the mental anguish that a first time should.These were hundreds born of mortification as England, guilt-stricken by a first-innings deficit of 293 and with five-and-a-half sessions to save the game, closed the fourth day only 59 runs behind New Zealand and with still nine wickets remaining. But if Cook added further lustre to his Test record – one to rival Sachin Tendulkar at the same age – with what has become his customary languorous elegance, Compton scraped through the 90s in more than 12 tension-ridden overs.Compton, who fell for a duck in the first innings, had steeled himself to track Cook’s progress for much of the day and if his innings was the more unobtrusive, his defensive outlook possessed a seasoned feel which illustrated why England’s director of cricket, Andy Flower, kept faith in the solidity he could bring at the top of the order. He must have been born with his back to the wall.But when Cook logged another hundred, Compton found himself on 90, and it felt an age away. Cook urged him to maintain his tempo, impending new ball or not, and when that new ball came, with him still six runs away, he would have been immediately run out on 94, risking a single to mid-on off Trent Boult, had Bruce Martin managed to hit direct.Cook must have felt like a guiding light for his inexperienced partner, but that light was then cruelly extinguished two overs before the close with Compton on 99, the England captain’s five-and-a-half hour stay ending when Boult had him caught behind.It was appropriate reward for Boult, who was the likeliest of the New Zealand attack and who conceded less than two runs an over all day, but it piled the pressure on Compton. When he next looked to the non-striker’s end for encouragement, he found only the gangling figure of the nightwatchman, Steven Finn. Two balls later – with 11 deliveries left in the day – he worked Tim Southee through midwicket, shouting with delight and applauded from the boundary’s edge by his tearful father.

Smart stats

• Alastair Cook’s century is his 24th in Tests and takes him two ahead of Kevin Pietersen on the list of England batsmen with the most Test centuries.

• Compton’s century is his first in Tests and the 100th by an England batsman against New Zealand. Compton now averages 44.28 in ten innings.

• The 231-run stand between Cook and Compton is the 18th double-century opening stand for England and their first against New Zealand since Graeme Fowler and Chris Tavare added 223 at The Oval in 1983.

• It is the 13th time that both England openers have scored centuries in an innings. The last time this happened was against Australia in Brisbane in 2010.

• The strike rate of 125.42 is the highest for a fifty-plus score for Brendon McCullum. Overall, the strike rate is the sixth-highest for a New Zealand batsman against England (fifty-plus score).

• The 77-run stand between McCullum and Bruce Martin is the sixth-highest eighth-wicket stand for New Zealand against England and their second-highest against England in Dunedin.

• The lead of 293 is New Zealand’s third-largest against England (completed innings). The highest is the 298-run lead at Lord’s in 1973. Click here for a list of matches when New Zealand have batted first and here for a list of matches where New Zealand have batted second.

Cook and Compton settled to a laborious task without much ado, outstripping England’s first-wicket record against New Zealand, the 223 previously set by Graeme Fowler and Chris Tavare at The Oval in 1983.Their resistance on a cold and cheerless day gave the crowd another reason for forbearance. It was Saturday, but the mood was so workmanlike it felt like Monday morning. New Zealand’s bowlers ran in eagerly, their spirits high and their lengths fuller than their English counterparts, and the captaincy of Brendon McCullum was business-like, more proactive perhaps than his predecessor, Ross Taylor.But for all New Zealand’s vigour, a stodgy brown surface showed no signs of deterioration. Cook essayed an occasional attractive square cut or clip off his legs, so intent upon not driving down the ground that only one single in his hundred came in such a manner; Compton just bedded in, his mental approach as upright as his stance, his footwork decisive but rarely expansive.There was a hint of swing for the left-arm quick, Neil Wagner, the least accurate of New Zealand’s fast-bowling trio, and when Cook squirted Bruce Martin’s slow left-arm off his pads to reach his fifty, there might have been a semblance of turn, but any excitement was tempered by the low bounce that made it easier to counter.England’s openers took time to settle. Cook, on four, needed an inside edge to survive Southee’s resounding lbw appeal and New Zealand lost a review against Compton, on 16, when the same bowler appealed for a catch down the leg-side, replays suggesting that the ball had brushed his thigh pad. Wagner also found enough inswing to give Compton some uncomfortable moments. But after staving off 22 overs before lunch, they were in orderly mood throughout an attritional afternoon. That both have the temperament to bat long was not a matter for debate, but while Cook’s Test record has few equals at this stage of his career, Compton’s talent remained unchartered.It was all an abrupt change of tempo from New Zealand’s enterprising start to the day as they added a further 58 in less than nine overs before declaring with nine down. McCullum, 44 not out from 42 balls overnight, flogged England to distraction, thrashing another 30 from 17 balls.McCullum swung Stuart Broad over deep square-leg to reach his fifty, the ball sailing over two Union Jacks at the back of a temporary stand and a bus as it flew out of the ground. He then pulled and drove James Anderson for further sixes. To compound Anderson’s misery, McCullum escaped potential catches by Cook, at first slip, and Compton, at deep cover, by inches before he skied Broad high to mid-on where Anderson held an awkward catch.McCullum’s mood also rubbed off on the debutant left-arm spinner, Martin, who pulled about with gusto until he was caught at the wicket for 41 off Finn attempting another leg-side hit. It was an enterprising start to the day, but it was about to be replaced by something more serious and, ultimately, more significant, too.

Nadeem Ghauri, the Pakistan umpire, has been handed a four-year ban by the PCB on charges of corruption alleged by a TV sting operation in 2012. His colleague Anis Siddiqui was banned for three years

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2013Nadeem Ghauri, the Pakistan umpire, has been handed a four-year ban by the PCB after its integrity committee found him guilty of being willing to accept money for favourable umpiring decisions. His colleague Anis Siddiqi was banned for three years.The allegations against the umpires first came up after a television sting operation last year. The PCB set up an inquiry committee soon after and passed on its findings to the board’s integrity committee to determine the punishments.The sting, broadcast by India TV, claimed to have “exposed” several first-class umpires from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan who were allegedly willing to give decisions favouring players for a fee. In the sting, conducted in July and August 2012, the reporters claimed to belong to a sports management company and promised the umpires officiating assignments in events of all kinds around the world, largely domestic Twenty20 leagues.A PCB release detailed the decisions of the integrity committee which included PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf. It explained why the board was harsher on Ghauri, who has stood in five Tests and 43 ODIs. “Mr. Nadeem Ghauri being a former Test cricketer and also elevated to the elite panel of umpires of ICC and PCB’s International panel (with 13 years standing) straight away agreed to extend undue favours for material gains.”The ruling on Siddiqi was a bit more lenient. “Mr. Anis Siddiqui being only a domestic umpire with lesser experience of only eight years did not straight away fall prey to the undue suggestions made by India TV Sting Operatives and kept on resisting their undue demands repeatedly, but finally conceded to them on their persistence. Keeping in view his limited exposure to International Cricket and Codes of Conduct, his case is of mitigating circumstances.”The PCB studied the raw, unedited footage of the operation from India TV, besides evidence from the ICC and investigated it with the help of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency .The Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka boards announced investigations following the broadcast of the sting operation in October. The Bangladesh umpire Nadir Shah was handed a ten-year ban by the BCB last month. The SLC began its investigation into the matter in October but hasn’t yet announced their findings.The Pakistan board has endorsed the recommendations of the integrity committee. “The PCB has a zero-tolerance policy for corruption or indiscipline,” the chairman Ashraf said. “We are committed on creating awareness amongst our players and officials with regards to the possible pitfalls, and are determined to adopt all vigilance and security parameters, which are in line with the laid out procedures of the ICC. Today’s decision reiterates the commitment of the PCB to keep our great sport free of all corrupt practices.”

Sri Lanka Cricket has apologised for the generator failures that halted play for 99 minutes in the first ODI in Hambantota, and said an investigation into the problem will be launched tomorrow

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hambantota23-Mar-2013Sri Lanka Cricket has apologised for the generator failures that halted play for 99 minutes in the first ODI in Hambantota, and said an investigation into the problem will be launched tomorrow.One floodlight tower lost power after the 41st over of the Bangladesh innings, before both the towers on the western side of the ground went out during the innings break, causing the major 85-minute delay. Sri Lanka’s innings was curtailed to 41 overs as a result, and their target adjusted to 238 according to the Duckworth-Lewis method.”Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to apologize to the millions of viewers & the general public for the inconvenience caused due to this technical fault,” a release said. “Two of the four light towers at the ground had failed. It should be noted that these generators were tested the day before and were fully functional during the said testing period.”One generator provides electricity to two floodlight towers, and each of those primary generators has a back-up generator that kicks in if the first one fails. The first generator on the western side failed during the Bangladesh innings, causing the first delay, but although the backup generator took over after a short break, that too failed during the innings break.The generator that provides electricity for the southern grandstand was then brought in to provide power for the floodlights.SLC has contracted state owned power company Ceylon Electricity Board, to provide and maintain the generators required for cricket matches, but an SLC engineer is employed to oversee the electricity arrangements for each match. The investigation into the failures will be carried out by the power company.There have been several instances of floodlight failures affecting international matches, with the Twenty20 between South Africa and New Zealand in East London last year being the most recent example. This is the first time a floodlight failure has stopped play in Sri Lanka.Hambantota hosts the second ODI on Monday, and SLC said two new generators would be brought from Colombo on Sunday, to replace the faulty ones.

The retired Test batsman Michael Hussey has not yet decided if he will play on for Western Australia next summer

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2013The retired Test batsman Michael Hussey has not yet decided if he will play on for Western Australia next summer. Hussey was not part of the list of contracted players the Warriors announced on Wednesday for the 2013-14 season due to the uncertainty over his future but the coach Justin Langer said the state would give Hussey as much time as he needed to decide on whether to play on.”It’s been a real whirlwind for Mike since he decided to retire from international cricket and he’s basically had no time to reflect on where he’s come from and what he wants to do in the future,” Langer said. “Because of the rules and regulations we’ve had to put our squad together now but certainly we’ll be giving Mike Hussey every bit of time he requires to make a decision on whether he wants to keep playing for the Warriors and the Scorchers.”The fast bowler Michael Hogan and the batsman Travis Birt have gone from last year’s list after retiring from Australian domestic cricket, while the batsman Tom Beaton was also dropped and Matt Dixon was demoted from a full contract to the rookie list. The wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Whiteman has been upgraded from his rookie deal while Hilton Cartwright, Burt Cockley and John Rogers have gained full contracts.”There haven’t been too many additions. We’re looking to encourage the philosophy that we’ll reward performance not just talent and reputation,” Langer said. “The guys who’ve been upgraded, Whiteman, Rogers, Cartwright and Cockley, deserve it based on their performances last year. That’s the philosophy we’re trying to develop.”Western Australia Ashton Agar, Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Burt Cockley, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Davis, Ryan Duffield, Marcus Harris, Mitchell Johnson (Cricket Australia contract), Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Marcus North, Nathan Rimmington, John Rogers, Tom Triffitt, Adam Voges, Sam Whiteman. Rookies Cameron Bancroft, William Bosisto, Matt Dixon, Simon Mackin, Joel Paris, Ashton Turner.

Tim May will be effectively replaced by two men at the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) with Paul Marsh and Ian Smith set to run the organisation

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2013Tim May will be effectively replaced by two men at the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) with Paul Marsh and Ian Smith set to run the organisation. Marsh has been elected executive chairman, and will take up that role alongside his existing position as chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, while Smith has been named FICA’s chief operating officer.Smith has been the legal director of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) since 2004 and has assisted May at FICA for the past few years. Smith will be responsible for the day-to-day management of FICA, which represents cricketers’ associations in seven countries, and Marsh will be accountable for the performance of the organisation and will effectively be its figurehead and spokesperson.”The FICA board is excited by the appointments of both Paul Marsh and Ian Smith,” Jimmy Adams, the FICA president, said. “Paul has been at the forefront of player advocacy for 12 years at the ACA, the past eight as CEO. He has proven to be a strong, respected and passionate leader who has also contributed enormously as a member of the FICA board.”Ian has demonstrated his dedication, expertise and passion throughout his time with the PCA and FICA and along with Paul, will ensure our member associations and their players continue to be represented in a strong, unified and tireless manner.”The two men will have big shoes to fill, for May was the major driving force behind FICA during his eight years as its chief executive. May announced his resignation on Wednesday and said he was “tiring of working in a sport that was increasingly at odds with the principles I respect”.”The contribution of Tim May to FICA and cricketers worldwide has been enormous and in many respects he is irreplaceable,” Adams said. “Our game continues to throw up issues of great complexity, and strong player representation through FICA and the individual player associations has never been more important. FICA is committed to continuing Tim’s wonderful legacy by ensuring that the voices of the players always be heard.”

West Indies’ horror of a match against India on Friday has not only been an eye opener for them, but also opened up the tournament

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran06-Jul-2013

Match facts

Sunday, July 7
Start time 0930 (1330 GMT)West Indies need their top order to set the base•Associated Press

Big Picture

West Indies’ horror of a match against India on Friday has not only been an eye opener for them, but has also opened up the tournament. India’s chances of qualifying for the final looked bleak after two consecutive defeats, but they trounced the hosts by a big enough margin to pick up a bonus point. West Indies are still on top with nine points and a game to play, and a win against Sri Lanka on Sunday will guarantee their spot in the final. A defeat will still give them a chance at qualifying, but it could come down to a three-way net-run rate scenario if the teams are tied on nine points. A win for Sri Lanka on Sunday will tighten the screws as it will at least put them on par with the hosts. It will also make things tougher for India, who are currently on five points with a game to play.While West Indies are not yet in grave danger of being knocked out, concerns remain. For starters, they will be without their captain Dwayne Bravo, who has been suspended for a slow over-rate. In all likelihood, Kieron Pollard will take over for the second time in three matches. Nothing went right for West Indies on Friday. If looks could deceive, the pitch certainly did. The grass looked inviting enough for both captains to have a bowl, but the decision to insert the opposition backfired on Bravo as his seamers failed to pick up early wickets. The opening partnership was allowed to develop and the West Indies’ death bowling was exposed by Virat Kohli. The batting suffered a bigger meltdown than the bowling, and while the afternoon rain may have spiced up the pitch for the Indian seamers to exploit, the hosts were struggling to get the start they wanted even before rain struck. Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo fell to poor strokes and the loss of two early wickets piled the pressure on the middle order, which looked just as inept. Perhaps the hosts lost the game in the mind after conceding 311. Perhaps batting first might not be a bad option if given the chance, going forward.Sri Lanka have two more games to play, are tied on points with India but have a superior net run rate. They peaked in all three departments in their previous game, losing just one wicket on their way to 348 and all their five bowlers contributed in bundling out India for less than 200. It remains to be seen if they will change their batting order and give players like Lahiru Thirimanne more time in the middle.

In the spotlight

The over-rates in the last two games have been costing the captains and players, literally. On Tuesday, India overshot by 20 minutes leading to Kohli being fined and on Friday, West Indies were worse by one more minute. It was costlier for West Indies, with Bravo now suspended. Changing captains during a tournament could upset a side’s rhythm and West Indies especially can’t afford too many stop-gap arrangements, at a time when Bravo is establishing himself as a full-time ODI captain.Sri Lanka’s new opening pair of Mahela Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga was formed after Tillakaratne Dilshan’s pre-tournament pull-out due to injury and that combination could stay at least until Dilshan returns. The question is whether Sri Lanka will be tempted to persist with it in future series, after their 213-run stand against India. Jayawardene has had success as an opener, but he hasn’t been a regular at that position; Dilshan is most comfortable at the top and Tharanga will be hard to ignore after his 174. With Kusal Perera earmarked for the future, Sri Lanka might find it hard to settle on one pair, once Dilshan returns. It’s a good headache to have.

Team news

Lendl Simmons, the opening batsman, was called in to the squad on Saturday as a replacement for Bravo.* West Indies could either play him or bring back Devon Smith.West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Devon Smith/Lendl Simmons, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Tino BestSri Lanka may retain their winning combinationSri Lanka (probable) 1 Mahela Jayawardene, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Lahiru Thirimanne, 8 Sachithra Senanayake, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Lasith Malinga

Stats and trivia

The two-member panel, which was formed to look into the involvement of the owners of two IPL franchises in corruption during the tournament, has found “no evidence of any wrongdoing” against Raj Kundra, the Rajasthan Royals team and India Cements

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2013A two-member panel has found “no evidence of any wrongdoing” against Raj Kundra, co-owner of Rajasthan Royals, the Rajasthan Royals franchise, and India Cements, the owner of Chennai Super Kings. The panel, comprising former high-court judges, was formed to look into the involvement of the owners of two IPL franchises in corruption during the tournament.The BCCI working committee met in Kolkata on Sunday and Niranjan Shah, a BCCI vice-president, said that the report submitted by the two retired judges, T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian, will now be forwarded to the IPL governing council.”There is no evidence of any wrongdoing found by the judges against Raj Kundra, India Cements and Rajasthan Royals,” Shah said. “The report will now be forwarded to the IPL governing council which will take a final decision when it meets on August 2 in New Delhi.”Meanwhile, Joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy said, “The BCCI had written to us asking for the investigating officer to depose before the board. We wrote back a month ago, seeking clarification on the legal provisions of their request. But they have not replied.”The investigation into Gurunath Meiyappan, a top Super Kings official and BCCI president N Srinivasan’s son-in-law, India Cements, Kundra and Rajasthan Royals’ owner Jaipur IPL Pvt Ltd was sanctioned after Meiyappan was arrested by Mumbai Police and Kundra reportedly confessed to betting in IPL matches.When asked if India Cements – the company of which Srinivasan is managing director and vice-president – has been given a clean chit in the report, Jagmohan Dalmiya, the interim BCCI chief, said: “The final call will be taken in the IPL governing council meeting. The governing council will examine the report and accordingly will take a decision. The copy of the report will be made public in due course.”Dalmiya also said that Srinivasan, who stepped aside from his duties till the investigation was complete as it included the probing of his son-in-law, will decide who will chair the governing council’s meeting on August 2. The question arose because Rajiv Shukla had resigned as the IPL governing council’s chairman on June 1. However, Dalmiya said he had not accepted that resignation. “I have requested him to continue,” he said. “I have not accepted Shukla’s resignation.”He conceded that BCCI Anti-Corruption and Security Unit chief Ravi Sawani’s findings on the Rajasthan Royals players accused of spot-fixing was discussed on Sunday, but since one of the three players involved – Ajit Chandila – was still in police custody, he could not be spoken to and so the probe is as yet incomplete.”We will wait for some time and then proceed accordingly,” Dalmiya said. “Sawani is currently on leave because of his son’s marriage. Let him come back.”Regarding the controversy over MS Dhoni’s conflict of interest because of his involvement with player management company Rhiti Sports, Dalmiya said “nothing will be swept under the carpet”.”I had said nothing will be swept under the carpet, many were asking what happened to that,” he said. “We have changed our mode of working. The players will have to declare their interest in sports management companies.”
By Sharda UgraThe BCCI’s working committee meeting in Kolkata has turned an important step of “Operation Clean-Up” into something resembling “Operation Cover-Up”.BCCI vice-president Niranjan Shah said the two-member probe panel had found “no evidence of wrongdoing” against Raj Kundra, co-owner of Rajasthan Royals, and India Cements, the owner of Chennai Super Kings. Interim chief Jagmohan Dalmiya announced that the panel’s report would be formally tabled at another meeting five days later in Delhi.These facts spin out a series of questions.Does “no evidence of wrongdoing” erase the fact that Gurunath Meiyappan, who went from being “team principal” of Chennai Super Kings to an “enthusiast” and happens to be the son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan, was arrested and questioned by Mumbai Police, and that Kundra was called in for questioning by Delhi Police?The arrest of a top-ranking team official and the questioning of a team owner about his association with bookmakers are not routine for any self-respecting sporting league. The damage caused to the IPL’s credibility by these events is as much of a “wrongdoing” as the arrest of and allegations against the three Rajasthan Royals players. Both Gurunath and Kundra were in positions of authority, with access to inside information.The next question that arises is with regards to the still-amorphous nature of the two-member probe panel that was set up to investigate the Rajasthan and Chennai honchos. To begin with, its appointment took place without a formal meeting of the IPL governing council. After the resignation of BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale, who was originally named on the panel, it was neither disbanded nor was there a third member chosen to replace him. It is not known whether either Gurunath or Kundra deposed before the panel and who else was questioned. Had help been sought from the Mumbai or Delhi Police, whose investigations had a two-month head-start over BCCI’s own probe panel? The bazaar says the panel did approach Mumbai Police, but were refused help. Mumbai Police says that it had asked the panel a question, but nobody replied. So, what were the panel’s questions and where did their answers come from?Two conclusions emerged from Kolkata: Rajasthan Royals will benefit from the fact that they share the dock with Chennai Super Kings, the IPL’s best-connected and most powerful team. If Super Kings owners are to be spared, regardless of the arrest of a key official, so will Royals’. Even though the Delhi Police chief said that Kundra had confessed to betting in the IPL. Secondly, the probe panel’s report is now in the hands of the BCCI’s one-man disciplinary committee, Arun Jaitley. The other two members are Srinivasan, whose company India Cements is under investigation, and Shah.The report will then pass on to the IPL’s governing council, which will meet on August 2 in Delhi, home turf for Jaitley and Rajiv Shukla, whose resignation as IPL chairman, Dalmiya said, has not been accepted.With the IPL’s standing eroded, the ground beneath the BCCI’s feet is merely becoming shifting sand.