Robin Jackman diagnosed with cancer

Former England cricketer and famous commentator Robin Jackman has become the latest person from the cricketing fraternity to be diagnosed with cancer. He will undergo seven weeks of radiotherapy following two operations to remove malignant tumours from his vocal cords.

"It's not the prettiest, but I got it early and I'm confident I'll be fine," Jackman was quoted as saying in the South African media.

"I won't be in Australia, but I sure will be rooting for the Proteas," he added.

His treatment will be followed by four weeks of rest, and the former player hopes to be back in the commentary box by next year.

Jackman played four Tests and 15 ODIs for England, and was involved with Surrey for 16 seasons starting from 1966. He took more than 1400 first-class wickets and scored 5681 runs.

Jackman maintained close ties with South Africa, coaching and representing Rhodesia and Western Province over 11 seasons.

The news comes less than a month after former England cricketer - Tony Greig - was diagnosed with the disease.

Fine sours comeback for Jesse Ryder

Troubled New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder was fined for using offensive language on Friday, taking the gloss off a dazzling return to first-class cricket as he strives to revive his international career.

Ryder, a raw talent whose record has been marred by a string of disciplinary lapses, announced he was taking a break from cricket earlier this year to work on "personal issues" after being dropped from the Black Caps.

He made a confident return to the crease in his comeback match for Wellington against Central Districts last week, scoring 117 in the first innings and 174 in the second.

But New Zealand Cricket said Friday that he had been fined NZ$750 ($610) for using offensive and insulting language during the match. It did not detail the offence, which reports said arose from frustration at an lbw decision.

Ryder has been consulting a psychologist as he seeks to get his career back on track and New Zealand officials have said the door remains open for an international return if he can improve his behaviour.

After his latest citing, Ryder's manager Aaron Klee told the Dominion Post newspaper that the batsman was "an emotional individual" who needed to be cut some slack.

"People have to accept Jesse isn't going to be a saint," Klee said.

"He is doing a lot of good things. You are going to get brilliant performances and you are going to get road bumps."

IPL franchises release 107 players ahead of trading window

A total of 107 international and Indian players have been released by the nine IPL franchises from their squads ahead of the players’ auction next week. The deadline for franchises to submit a list of players they wish to retain ahead of the IPL trading window and player auction was October 31 and each of the franchises has met that cutoff. A total of 179 players - 120 Indian and 59 overseas - have been retained on the same financial terms. Among the notable players whose contracts were not included are George Bailey, Joginder Sharma, Scott Styris, Abhinav Mukund, Suraj Randiv, Doug Bollinger (Chennai Super Kings); Darren Bravo, Daniel Christian, Manpreet Gony, Daniel Harris (Deccan Chargers); Glenn Maxwell, Venugopal Rao, Travis Birt, Colin Ingram, Aaron Finch, Doug Bracewell, Robin Bist (Delhi Daredevils); James Faulkner, Romesh Powar, Stuart Broad, Abhishek Nayar (Kings XI Punjab); Jaydev Unadkat (Kolkata Knight Riders); Clint McKay, Thissara Perera, Dwayne Smith, Richard Levi, Davy Jacobs (Mumbai Indians); Michael Clarke, Callum Ferguson, Nathan McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Steve Smith, James Hopes, Tamim Iqbal, Graeme Smith (Pune Warriors India); Johan Botha, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Dinesh Chandimal(Rajsthan Royals); Dirk Nannes, Luke Pomersbach, Mohammad Kaif (Royal Challengers Bangalore) Of the players whose contracts were not extended, there were also 52 uncapped Indian players.

The salary cap for each of the IPL franchises in 2013 is $12.5 million and each squad can contain a maximum of 33 players, inclusive of 11 overseas players. The IPL trading window opens November 19 at which time franchises can purchase uncapped Indian players. From November 1 franchises can re-acquire those players signed on as temporary replacements in IPL 5. 

Current squads with retained players:

Chennai Super Kings - cost of squad $9.3m, salary cap remaining $3.2m

Overseas players: Albie Morkel, Ben Hilfenhaus, Dwayne Bravo, Faff du Plessis, Michael Hussey, Nuwan Kulasekara.

Indian players: MS Dhoni (capt), Murali Vijay, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shadab Jakati, Anirudha Srikkanth, S Badrinath, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha (wk).

Delhi Daredevils - cost of squad $10.8m, Salary cap remaining $1.7m

Overseas players: Andre Russell, David Warner, Kevin Pietersen, Mahela Jayawardene, Morne Morkel, Roelof van der Merwe, Ross Taylor.

Indian players: Ajit Agarkar, Irfan Pathan, Manpreet Juneja, Naman Ojha, Pawan Negi, Shahbaz Nadeem, Umesh Yadav, Unmukt Chand, Varun Aaron, Virender Sehwag, Yogesh Nagar.

Kings XI Punjab - cost of squad $5.3m, Salary cap remaining $7.2m

Overseas players: Adam Gilchrist, Azhar Mahmood, David Hussey, David Miller, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Shaun Marsh.

Indian players: Bhargav Bhatt, Bipul Sharma, Gurkeerat Singh, Harmeet Singh, Mandeeo Singh, Nitin Saini, Parwinder Awana, Paul Valthaty, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, R Sathish, Siddharth Chitnis, Sunny Singh (Indian).

Kolkata Knight Riders - cost of squad $10.4m, Salary cap remaining $2.1m

Overseas players: Brad Haddin, Brendon McCullum, Brett Lee, Eoin Morgan, Jacques Kallis, James Pattinson, Marchant de Lange, Ryan ten Doeschate, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine.

Indian players: Debabrata Das, Gautam Gambhir, Iqbal Abdulla, L Balaji, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Manoj Tiwary, Manvinder Bisla, Pradeep Sangwan, Rajat Bhatia, Sarabjit Ladda, Shami Ahmed, Yusuf Pathan.

Mumbai Indians - cost of squad $10.7m, Salary cap remaining $1.8m

Overseas players: Aiden Blizzard, Herschelle Gibbs, James Franklin, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Johnson, Robin Peterson.

Indian players: Abu Nechin, Aditya Tare, Ambati Rayudu, Amitoze Singh, Apoorv Wankhade, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dinesh Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Munaf Patel, Pawan Suyal, Pragyan Ojha, Rahul Shukla, Rohit Sharma, RP Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Suryakumar Yadav, Sushant Marathe, T Suman, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Pune Warriors India - cost of squad $8.5m, Salary cap remaining $4m

Overseas players: Alfonso Thomas, Angelo Mathews, Luke Wright, Marlon Samuels, Mitchell Marsh, Wayne Parnell.

Indian players: Ali Murtuza, Anustup Majumdar, Ashish Nehra, Ashok Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dheeraj Jadhav, Eklavya Dwivedi, Harpreet Singh, Krishnakant Upadhyay, Mahesh Rawat, Manish Pandey, Mithun Manhas, Murali Kartik, Rahul Sharma, Raiphi Gomez, Robin Uthappa, Shrikant Wagh, Yuvraj Singh.

Rajasthan Royals - cost of squad $4.1m, Salary cap remaining $8.4m

Overseas players: Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Kevon Cooper, Shane Watson, Shaun Tait.

Indian players: Ajinkya Rahane, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan, Ashok Menaria, Rahul Dravid, Sreesanth, Shreevats Goswami, Siddharth Trivedi, Stuart Binny.

Royal Challengers Bangalore - cost of squad $9.7m, Salary cap remaining $2.8m

Overseas players: AB de Villiers, Andrew McDonald, Chris Gayle, Daniel Vettori, Muttiah Muralitharan, Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Indian players: Abhimanyu Mithun, Arun Karthik, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harshal Patel, KP Appanna, Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, R Vinay Kumar, Sreenath Aravind, Saurabh Tiwary, J Syed Mohammed, Vijay Zol, Virat Kohli, Zaheer Khan.

Team Hyderabad - cost of squad $5.5m, Salary cap remaining $7m

Overseas players: Cameron White, Chris Lynn, Dale Steyn, JP Duminy, Rusty Theron, Kumar Sangakkara.

Indian players: Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Akash Bhandari, Akshath Reddy, Amit Mishra, Anand Rajan, Ankit Sharma, Ashish Reddy, Bharat Chipli, Biplab Samantray, Ravi Teja, Ishant Sharma, Parthiv Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Veer Pratap Singh.

Ganguly opts out of IPL 2013

Former India captain, Sourav Ganguly has said that he has no intentions of playing in the upcoming Indian Premier League despite holding a contract with the Sahara Pune Warriors for one more season. Ganguly has revealed that he has told his bosses at Pune that he wished to end his playing time and would not be available for selection during the 2013 season of the mega tournament.

"I had a wonderful time playing in the IPL for five seasons. It gave me a chance to keep playing top-class cricket even after quitting international cricket. But I can't go on forever, and I have requested the franchise owners not to consider me for IPL 6," Sourav told TOI on Sunday.

Ganguly played the first three seasons of the Indian Premier League for the Kolkata Knight Riders. He led the team as an icon player in the first edition. A poor show meant that 'Dada' as he is fondly called was stripped of his captaincy during a disastrous second edition in South Africa. Ganguly did return to the helm in the subsequent season but failed to take his team to the semi-finals.

He then had to bear the humiliation of not being considered good enough by any of the 10 franchises during the 2011 auctions but later made a late entry into the Pune team following an injury to Ashish Nehra. He took over as the captain in the fifth edition and led his franchise to a last place finish.

They were rumors floating along that Ganguly would not be a part of the Pune management's plans for the 6th edition of the tournament and instead would be offered a role in the team as a 'mentor'.

Sourav Ganguly has also decided to opt out of the Ranji Trophy Team for Bengal for the upcoming season. Ganguly had retired from international cricket in 2008 but had continued to be a part of the domestic set-up.

In Ganguly's absence, Manoj Tiwary has been named the captain. There were indications given by a senior official in the Bengal Board that 'Dada' could return later in the season. "He would not play the first two matches, but depending on our team's position we may get his services later on," Sujan Mukherjee, the secretary of the Bengal board said. "It's a youthful side but we have players with international experience, looking forward to a positive season," he added.

Squad: Manoj Tiwary (capt), Parthasarathi Bhattacharjee, Rohan Banerjee, Jayojit Basu, Writam Porel, Anustup Majumdar, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Iresh Saxena, Ashok Dinda, Sourav Sarkar, Arnab Nandy, Veer Pratap Singh, Subhomoy Das and Aritra Chatterjee

Ashwin awarded top BCCI contract

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh and seamer Ishant Sharma have been demoted from Grade A to B in the BCCI's list of annually contracted players, while offspinner R Ashwin, who has established himself as the leading spinner for India across all three formats, has been promoted from Grade B to A.

This means that the duo of Harbhajan and Ishant will draw a fixed income of Rs 50 lakh (approx $93,000) each from October 2012 to September 2013, instead of the Rs 1 crore (approx $186,000) that players with the top grade of contracts will get. Both bowlers seem to have been penalised for their lacklustre performance in the first half of the contract cycle.

With the BCCI's central contracts committee - consisting of president N Srinivasan, secretary Sanjay Jagdale and Sandeep Patil, the chairman of the all-India selection panel - having shrunk Grade A from 12 players to nine, Ashwin has been the biggest beneficiary, replacing Harbhajan as the only spinner in the top grade. There have been no replacements for Ishant, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in the top category, with the latter duo having retired from international cricket during the course of the year.

The committee has also promoted Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane from Grade C, which fetches Rs 25 lakh (around $46,500) annually, to B. Both Rahane and Pujara have been billed as leading contenders to fill spots over the long-term in the Test line-up. Umesh Yadav, who has impressed with the ball, and allrounder Irfan Pathan, who is back in national contention after a stint on the sidelines, have been elevated from Grade C to B.

Besides Harbhajan and Ishant, others who have been demoted include Praveen Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja, both of whom have been moved from Grade B to C.

Bowlers S Sreesanth and Jaydev Unadkat are omitted from last year's list of 37 players (the same number as this year). Seamer L Balaji and allrounder Yusuf Pathan return to the list, with Grade C contracts, while fast bowler Ashok Dinda is on the list for the first time.

 

Grade A: Rs 1 crore each (approx $186,000) Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin

 

Grade B: Rs 50 lakh each (approx $93,000) Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav

 

Grade C: Rs 25 lakh each (around $46,500) Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, R Vinay Kumar, Munaf Patel, Abhimanyu Mithun, Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Parthiv Patel, Manoj Tiwary, S Badrinath, Piyush Chawla, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Sharma, Varun Aaron, Abhinav Mukund, Ashok Dinda, Yusuf Pathan, Praveen Kumar, L Balaji

Vaas to assist NZ bowlers during SL Tests

New Zealand has taken on Chaminda Vaas as their assistant bowling coach for the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. He will assist Shane Bond, who was appointed bowling coach last week, for the last part of their five-week tour, which begins with the one-off Twenty20 international on October 30.

"We wanted someone with experience in the subcontinent to work with our young bowlers. [Chaminda] Vaas will work alongside bowling coach Shane Bond during the Tests," New Zealand coach Mike Hesson told reporters in Colombo on Friday. "Vaas' extensive playing experience in local conditions will provide valuable input, as we plan and prepare for the Test series. An important part of his brief will be to provide tactical advice to the bowling unit, especially our contingent of left-arm seamers.

"In terms of professional development, it's a great opportunity for Shane Bond to work alongside a different style of coach and I'm sure he'll benefit from the experience."

Vaas, Sri Lanka's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs, said he was eager to work with the likes of Doug Bracewell, Chris Martin and Tim Southee, and the left-arm trio - Trent Boult, James Franklin and Neil Wagner.

"I am pleased to have the chance to work with an international team, particularly a side like New Zealand [which has] such a large number of talented young fast bowlers," he said. "I feel my recent experience as a player and understanding of conditions in the subcontinent will benefit the team."

Ahead of their last full tour of Sri Lanka in 2009, New Zealand hired former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as a consultant, to help their spin bowlers as well as advise the batsmen on how to play spin in the subcontinent, a trend that Hesson, the new man in charge, has followed.

"When we tour a number of countries, we try to access specialists," Hesson said. "When we play in the subcontinent the conditions are very foreign, so we need to learn. We try to take every opportunity that we can. We are very open to get people on short term basis and hopefully it will work." 

Following the one-off T20 and the five-match ODI series, the Test series begins in Galle on November 17.

Turning tracks for England Tests not unfair - Kohli

In wake of the criticism leveled at India over the absence of spinners in the A-Team Squad that will play England in a warm-up game, batsman Virat Kohli has said there would be nothing unfair with making England play on spinner-friendly pitches in the Tests. On India's tour to England and Australia last year, he said, the conditions during the warm-up games and those in the Test matches were vastly different, which was not 'fair' to India.

"Why not [turning pitches]? We were given flattest of tracks during practice matches in England and Australia and then suddenly presented with a green-top during the Tests," Kohli told PTI. "During practice matches, we would face those 120kmph bowlers … If they [England and Australia] wanted to be fair to us, they could have provided us with same kind of tracks for practice matches, like what were used in Tests.

Especially, when they knew that visiting teams get very less time to practice. Now they would be playing on turning tracks and definitely would know where they stand."

The tour of India marks the return of Kevin Peterson to the England side, after a 10-week stand-off with the team. Kohli said he will be under a lot of pressure to perform, especially taking into account England's traditional struggles against spin.

"There will be huge pressure on KP as he has been playing in India for quite some time and considered to be a good batsman against spin.

"You may say that the senior England cricketers have an understanding of these conditions but let me tell you, it's not that easy. You might feel they would like to hit spinners but end up doing exactly opposite."

He pointed to England's tour of the UAE, where they were whitewashed 3-0 by Pakistan in the Tests, as an example of England's continuing issues with spin. "That particular series, there wasn't much turn on offer but England couldn't negotiate one quality spinner [Saeed Ajmal]; they lost the battle in their heads."

Kohli also defended his team-mates, saying the talk about them being poor against short-pitched bowling did not make sense. "I have never really understood this theory. Are people like Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag poor players of short-pitched bowling? Show me how many Indian players were out to short-pitched deliveries in Australia?

"No batsman in world cricket is comfortable against a good bouncer. If you get a good bouncer, give credit to the bowler rather than finding chinks in batsman's armoury."

Similarly, he backed MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher saying any criticism directed at them for India's recent poor overseas form was unfounded. "Under him [Dhoni], we have won the World Cup, been No. 1 in Tests ... He has also encouraged the juniors."

"Duncan is also a thorough professional. He would quietly stand in one corner and observe. If he needs to say something, he would come up and give a suggestion. He believes international cricketers know their jobs. If we have lost eight Test matches, blame us and not the coach."

Swann cautious ahead of India return

Graeme Swann will travel to India on the verge of becoming England's most successful offspinner in Test cricket but he has cautioned against expectations that his bowling will be the decisive factor in the tourists' attempts to win the series.

Since taking two wickets in his first over of Test cricket in Chennai four years ago, Swann has added a further 190 to the tally to leave him within one wicket of Jim Laker's mark of 193. Although Swann has taken 39 wickets in 2012, his ten victims during the English summer came at an average of 59 and he was dropped for the first time in more than three years when England opted, unsuccessfully, to play four fast bowlers against South Africa at Headingley.

A chronic elbow injury, which has required periods of rest to ameliorate the pain of floating bone fragments near to the nerve, has also dogged Swann. He acknowledges that the expectations of Indian pitches will add to his burden, as England seek to improve on a record that has seen them win just one Test match in the country since 1985, but can take confidence from an impressive record in Asia, which includes taking his second ten-wicket haul in Tests against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

"As a spinner it stands to reason that when you go to the subcontinent people are going to look to you and how you bowl," Swann told the Independent before heading off for England's training camp in Dubai. "But if we do turn up just expecting the spinner to win the series for us then we're screwed.

"The key to Test cricket is that the more you play the more confident you get and the more confident you get ergo you bowl more consistently. Having looked at the schedule I know two of the pitches might turn, in Kolkata and Mumbai. I am not sure about the other two. I have been reliably informed that Nagpur is the flattest wicket ever devised by groundsmen but that was by Cooky, who got a hundred there on his debut."

Alastair Cook, now elevated to the position of England captain, shares with Swann the experience of an impressive debut in India. But Swann was also swift to recall the result of the first Test in 2008, when Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten hundred helped India to reach a fourth-innings target of 387 with six wickets in hand.

"It all started for me there and I can't quite believe it has come round again so quickly," Swann said. "It all seems like a dream when I think about the start of it. I remember the smells that were wafting over the ground when I took the ball. It's all very romantic when I think back.

"The rose-tinted glasses are removed of course because of the fact that we had 360-odd chased down at a canter by Mr Tendulkar. But it's got fond memories for me personally because I did well. To realise that you can compete at a level that you have always had a sneaking suspicion that you weren't good enough for is one of the greatest weights ever to be lifted off your shoulders. I will be indebted to those first two Test matches for making me realise it was just another game of cricket."

Swann will return to India have long since usurped Monty Panesar as England's No. 1 spinner and, despite the protestations to the contrary, his form with the ball will almost certainly be as important to the team as the return of Kevin Pietersen to the fold. The summer rupture between members of the England squad and Pietersen was compounded by a painful series defeat to South Africa, and the loss of the No. 1 ranking, but Cook in his new role has been instrumental in seeking a fresh start.

It was during Pietersen's brief spell as England captain that Swann came into the side and he was among the players Pietersen met with during his "reintegration" process. Swann expressed relief that the situation had been resolved and, after becoming a father for the second time only a week ago, he was perhaps understandably looking forward to focusing on more important issues.

"More than anything it is a good thing it is done and dusted," said Swann. "A line has been drawn under it and the actual cricket can go back to doing the talking rather than off-field antics. I am sure it can get back to how it was. I think a lot depended on Kevin. He seems in a place now where he is happy to play again, he has committed himself to the team and that's good moving forward.

"I think that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet now. I think there has been a bit of honesty and a bit of contriteness from certain parties. I think everybody is fed up with it and that's why we just want to play cricket."

After almost a month off post-World Twenty20, England will begin playing cricket again on Tuesday, with a three-day game against India A. That will be followed by two more warm-up matches, before the first of 

four Tests begins in Ahmedabad on November 15. 

KP's return can cause problems: Strauss

In an exclusive interview to the 'Guardian', former England skipper, Andrew Strauss has said that the team will have to be very careful in its relationship with returning batsman, Kevin Pietersen. He has further stated any lingering discontent in the dressing room is bound to cause problems in the future.

Strauss announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after leading England through a summer of discontent and distrust. Their defence of the No. 1 Test ranking against South Africa went pear shaped as they lost 0-2 and relinquished the top spot to the victors. The series will also be remembered for Pietersen's alleged provocative texts to the South African dressing room which resulted in the star batsman being axed from the team before the 3rd Test.

Pietersen subsequently apologized for his actions during a series of meetings with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and was a late inclusion in the touring party for the Indian series. Strauss said: "It will be difficult. One of the problems is that there are two separate sections. One is going on in meeting rooms between KP and the players and on the other side is this media intrigue. From [the coach] Andy Flower's point of view, they need to get that first part right. If everyone is happy in the dressing room they will play well. But if it's not resolved then it is a problem. I honestly think it's a real problem."

"If they can make it work, then obviously England will be a better side with KP in it because he's an outstanding player. But if, behind the scenes, things are difficult and resentment is harboured and, if KP is not fully committed to England, there are going to be problems. But it's in everyone's interests to make it work."

Asked whether the fractious relationship between Pietersen and some of the members of the England will heal, Strauss said: "It's an interesting point. Maybe it actually makes it easier for the team that I'm not there because some of it was directed to me. It would have been harder if I'd stayed. I think that it can be [healed]. But everyone has to desperately want it to happen and they all need to let bygones be bygones and not have any grudges and bitterness. Everyone has to want to move forward for the right reasons. That's the question mark and so it's hard for me to tell. But it saddens me that we've been through this - after all the hard work we put in as a group for three-and-a-half years. We all genuinely believed in this special bond and chemistry we had. Unfortunately we've slipped from there and the guys are going to need to recover that. It's going to be tough."

Strauss also said that he did not write any letter to KP about his decision to retire from international cricket. "I didn't write to KP, actually," Strauss said. "But the main reason was that I wrote all those letters so they could be taken down to the Rose Bowl where the guys were playing [in a one-day international.] Obviously I texted KP. That was a strange time for the two of us. A lot had happened and during that period we were quite estranged from each other."

"Kevin has since come up to me and apologised for it and I respect that. He seemed contrite and I think he was sincere. Looking back I think it was wrong some of our players were following that [spoof KP Genius] Twitter account. But I still don't think it's a justification for what Kevin did."

Pybus steps down as Bangladesh coach

"We have received an email from the agent of Mr Pybus which stated that he is unwilling to continue as our head coach," BCB president Nazmul Hasan told a news conference.

Pybus, 48, who was born in Newcastle, England, had two stints as Pakistan coach. He took over from Australian Stuart Law as Bangladesh coach last May.

The BCB said no formal contract had been signed with Pybus because they could not agree on his holiday allowance.

"He was looking for more time to be with his family," said Nazmul. "But we have a structure for all foreign coaches and we cannot go beyond that."

Pybus had confirmed his decision in an interview to ESPNCricinfo in which he had stated that the terms of his contract and interference from the administrators had led to his decision.

The board approached me earlier this year on three occasions to become head coach. I turned them down twice, as I couldn't commit to the amount of time they wanted me to be with the team and in Bangladesh, which was 320 days a year," Pybus said.

"I explained that I had family responsibilities that stop me from being away for this amount of time. The third time they approached me, I explained again, in detail, what the issues were.

"I said I could prepare the team in camps, tour with them and be there for all series, but I needed to get home between tours for my family. If they were happy with that, then I could do the job for them. That was when they agreed that I would be able to go home between tours. Their agreement was never made explicit in the contract they presented to me in Dhaka so I refused to sign it. That is the heart of the matter," he stated.

Yuvraj Singh picked in India A squad

Yuvraj Singh who marked his return to first-class cricket with a double-century in the Duleep Trophy last week, has been included in the India A squad to play England in Mumbai from October 30. 

In their first formal meeting since taking over as national selectors on October 1, Sandeep Patil and his colleagues decided not to pick a spinner in the 14-member squad to be led by Suresh Raina. The decision to not play a spinner is perhaps because the Indian team management does not want to give England exposure to what is likely to be their biggest challenge during the Test series.

India A Squad Suresh Raina (capt), Ambati Rayudu, M Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Manoj Tiwary, Robin Bist, Ashok Menaria, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Irfan Pathan, Ashok Dinda, Vinay Kumar, Parvinder Awana

While Raina, Yuvraj, Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary were included among nine specialist batsmen, Rohit was left out, an indication the Mumbai batsman could have to revive his chances by scoring big in the Ranji Trophy.

Rajasthan batsmen Robin Bist and Ashok Menaria were rewarded for their consistent performances. Bist, the highest run-getter in the previous Ranji Trophy season, had also toured West Indies in June as part of the A squad. Menaria was selected after an impressive outing during the A tour to New Zealand in September.

Tiwary, whose technique wasn't considered to be up to Test standards by the previous selection panel, the Tamil Nadu top-order pair of M Vijay and Abhinav Mukund, and Baroda batsman Ambati Rayudu completed the batting line-up. Initially, Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan was included in the squad, but had to be withdrawn as the match clashes with his marriage. In his place, Rayudu was brought in.*

The bowling attack comprised seamers Irfan Pathan, Ashok Dinda, R Vinay Kumar and Parvinder Awana, who had broken down while bowling his first spell on the A tour of the Caribbean.

Yuvraj's selection was on expected lines after his 208 for North Zone against Central Zone. He had returned to competitive action after a nine-month break because of a rare germ-cell cancer during India's Twenty20 international against New Zealand and the World Twenty20 that followed in September and October.

And when he was named in the North Zone side for the Duleep Trophy semi-final, Yuvraj had admitted he wasn't sure how his body would cope with four-day cricket. He made most of the opportunity, though, and his 208 - against an attack that included Praveen Kumar, Bhuvneshvar Kumar and Murali Kartik - was only a run less than his highest in first-class score.

 Should Yuvraj perform against Alastair Cook's team in the three-day fixture at the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium next week, he is likely to be a contender for the No. 6 slot in India's Test batting order.

After VVS Laxman's retirement ahead of the two-Test series against New Zealand in August, Suresh Raina was the preferred No. 6, ahead of Rohit, Rahane and Tiwary. However, Yuvraj will now have an opportunity to stake his claim.

Mathews named Sri Lanka's T20 captain,malinga vice caption

All-rounder Angelo Mathews was named Sri Lanka Twenty20 captain on Wednesday for the next 12 months in an appointment which could lead to him taking over as leader of the test side.

Mathews, 25, the Sri Lanka vice-captain in all three formats of the game, succeeds Mahela Jayawardene who resigned as T20 captain after his side lost this month's World Cup final to West Indies.

"We are giving Mathews a free hand to captain the T20 side for one year after which we will review his performance," said chief selector Ashantha de Mel.

Mathews' first assignment will be to lead Sri Lanka in a one-off T20 international against New Zealand at Pallekele on Oct. 30. Fast bowler Lasith Malinga has been named at the T20 vice-captain, also for a one-year term.

Sun TV wins Hyderabad new IPL franchise

The Sun TV network has won the Hyderabad franchise of the IPL, bidding Rs 85.05 crores per year (around $15.9m) for a ten-year deal. The decision was announced after a meeting of the IPL's governing council in Mumbai on Thursday, and a week after Deccan Chargers, the original Hyderabad franchise, was terminated after failing to meet the deadline for raising its bank guarantee. 

The other bidder for the franchise was PVP Ventures, who offered Rs 69.03 crores per year (around $12.9m). This was the second time PVP tried to buy the franchise, having failed last month as well with a bid of Rs 900 crores ($164m) for ten years. 

Sun TV Networks Limited, which is headquartered in Chennai, is one of India's biggest television networks with 32 TV channels and 45 FM radio stations primarily catering to an audience in the southern parts of India. Their network includes channels covering news, entertainment, film, documentary and music.

Shane Bond named New Zealand bowling coach

Former paceman Shane Bond has been appointed New Zealand's bowling coach, ahead of a tough international season that includes Test series against South Africa, England and Sri Lanka.

Bond, 37, said he had aspired to the role since 2010, when a succession of injuries that blighted his once-promising career forced him out of the game with just 18 Test caps in nine years.

"This is a role I have worked towards since I stopped playing," he said on Friday. "The experience of playing for New Zealand exceeded my expectations and I'm sure it will be no different as a coach."

Bond will accompany the Black Caps to Sri Lanka later this month and be part of the coaching set-up when New Zealand tour South Africa in December, then host England in February.

"The Black Caps have some very important cricket coming up and we are delighted to have Shane on board to help develop and prepare our international bowling attack," New Zealand Cricket director of cricket John Buchanan said.

"His knowledge of the modern game will be a valuable asset to the team."

ICC fighting 'war' on corruption: Richardson

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is fighting a "war" against corruption which even includes educating groundsmen as well as players and officials, its chief executive has said.

"It is a war we are fighting," David Richardson said at the launch in London of the final ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in England next summer before the Ashes series."

"Our anti-corruption unit have their work cut out to make sure players are kept away from temptation."

"It's everybody now, unfortunately. Everybody is susceptible -- curators, groundsmen -- our corruption unit is very aware of what it needs to do."

Six South Asian umpires were provisionally suspended last week after an Indian TV sting alleged they were open to bribery, while five Indian cricketers were also suspended during this year's Indian Premier League over allegations that no-balls could be arranged to order.

Other tournaments including Twenty20 leagues in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have also been tainted by scandal.

The Champions Trophy, which pitches the top eight one-day nations together, is being scrapped to make way in the international calendar for a new World Test Championship from 2017.

"This tournament is part of the current rights cycle, as we call it," Richardson said.

"Somewhere in the middle the strategy was changed as far as ICC events are concerned. We have three vibrant formats of the game and it makes sense to hold one major event for each format."

"The World Cup is the pinnacle for the 50-over event so the Champions Trophy is the one to go."

"In 2017 there will be a World Test Championship which will be the first time we have had a Test event on a global scale."

The Champions Trophy will be played over 18 days with the matches scheduled for Cardiff, The Oval and Edgbaston, which will host the final on June 23.

No play at home unfair to Pakistan: Misbah

Starved of international cricket on home turf, Pakistan's Test and one-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq said it is unfair to deprive his team of a chance to compete in front of its own due to the lingering security concerns of international sides.

"We are a big Test-playing country and it is not fair for us as well as for the other Test-playing countries and world cricket that we are not getting to stage international cricket," said Misbah.

"It is the responsibility of the cricket boards and their respective governments to come out with policies and ensure how teams can visit Pakistan in the future," he told the 'Gulf News' newspaper.

Sri Lanka were the last team to visit Pakistan in March 2009. The tour was brought to an abrupt end when terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore killing six Pakistani policemen and a van driver and wounding some of the visiting players.

Since the, Pakistan has been forced to host its home series in neutral venues such as Sri Lanka, England and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Misbah, who is the Test and ODI skipper felt that Pakistan's semi-final finish in the recently concluded T20 Cup showed that the team was doing well in difficult conditions and rising to the challenge despite not playing international cricket in front of home fans.

"It is a big dilemma and it is time the cricketing world comes together to push for international cricket in Pakistan," he added.

Misbah also commended the idea of hosting the Pakistan Premier League and said it is a very important step which would aid the development of the game.

"The PPL will help in developing the temperament and skills of players. It will also throw up some new talent. The exposure the players will get will help them acquire professionalism. It is very important for Pakistan to go for it," Misbah said.

World XI to visit Pakistan for exhibition T20s

Pakistan will host a World XI for two Twenty20 matches, officials said Tuesday, in hopes of moving a step closer to resuming home internationals which have been suspended for more than three years.

Foreign sides have refused to play in Pakistan since 2009, when the Sri Lankan team was attacked as they arrived for the third day of the second Test in Lahore, leaving eight people dead.

Former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya will lead the World XI, which also includes former players from South Africa and the West Indies. They will play a Pakistan All Stars side in Karachi on Saturday and Sunday.

Mohammad Ali Shah, sports minister for Sindh province, said the matches will help restore Pakistan's image in the world.

"We hope that this small step will pave the way for other teams to tour Pakistan and by staging these matches we hope to send a clear message that our country is safe for international sports," Shah told a press conference.

Former West Indian batsman Alvin Kallicharan will be the manager of the World XI, said Shah.

The World XI will also include Ricardo Powell, Steven Taylor, Jermaine Charles Lawson and Adam Sanford, all from the West Indies; South Africa's Justin Kemp, Loots Bosman, Mthandeki Tschabalala, Andre Nel, Andre Johann Seymore and Nantie Hayward; and Shapoor Zadran and Mohammad Shahzad Mohammadi of Afghanistan.

Shah said strict security would be in place.

"Around 5,000 policemen will be employed to avoid any lapse and we are sure that these arrangements will made the players at ease," said Shah. "All the players are excited over the prospect of visiting Pakistan."

Pakistan All Stars will be led by current all-rounder Shahid Afridi and include Younis Khan, Nasir Jamshed, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz and Imran Nazir.

Lara named brand ambassador of Chittagong Kings(BPL)

Brian Lara has joined Bangladesh Priemer League (BPL) team, Chittagong Kings as its new brand ambassador.

The West Indian batting legend is set to sign a 3 year contract with the franchise in November.

"I am excited and honoured to announce that Brian Lara has agreed to join us as the brand ambassador of the Chittagong Kings," Sameer Quader Chowdhury, the franchise's owner, told ESPNcricinfo.

Lara is expected to be a part of the Chittagong management for the player auctions which is scheduled to be held on December 7.

"He will also be with us throughout the BPL campaign, which starts on January 17. Before the tournament starts, he will be present for our corporate dealings and marketing activities. Apart from this, he will do social work and be involved in team's activities and selection," said Chowdhury.

BCCI floats tender for new IPL franchise

After terminating cash-strapped Deccan Chargers from the Indian Premier League, the BCCI on Sunday began the process of finding a new team by floating tender notices for a fresh franchise. "Under this invitation to tender, the winning bidder will be granted the right to own and operate a new team which will compete in the IPL in each year from and including 2013 onwards and will have the opportunity (if applicable and subject to qualification) to compete in each and any CLT20 which is staged from 2013 onwards." the BCCI said in an advertisement published in leading newspapers.

The bids have been invited in respect of 12 cities -- Ahmedabad, Cuttack, Dharamsala, Indore, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kochi, Nagpur, Noida, Rajkot, Ranchi and Vizag. The tender notice said that all bidding parties will need to fulfill the eligibility criteria and other requirements specified in the Invitation to Tender.

"Bids must be submitted at 12 noon IST on Thursday, October 25. The winning bids will be announced in the manner set out in the Invitation to Tender," the BCCI advert said.

Earlier, after a month long legal battle, Deccan Chargers lost their status as an IPL team after the Bombay High Court stayed the order of Arbitrator for maintaining status quo on the matter till further hearing.

The beleaguered owners of Deccan Chargers had failed to produce a Rs 100-crore bank guarantee before the Bombay High Court, a condition that had been set for the struggling team's survival in the league. They later approached the Court-appointed Arbitrator who had passed the order of status quo. 

Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited's failure to furnish the guarantee money before the 5pm deadline on Friday effectively meant that the BCCI's termination of the team stood and the Board was free to float the tender for a new franchise. 

Deccan Chargers were hoping to resolve their financial problems by selling the team but they rejected the sole bid they received at the auction in Chennai on September 13.

PVP Ventures Limited, the Hyderabad-based urban infrastructure and film production company, had offered Rs 900 crore but Deccan rejected it finding the terms of payment and the amount unacceptable. DCHL purchased the Hyderabad franchise for Rs 428 crore in 2008.

West Indies:world T20 champions 2012..but what's next

Fire in Babylon, the wonderful film about the rise of the West Indies side in the 1970s, spends a considerable amount of screen time to emphasize why Clive Lloyd came to be a much veneered leader. At a time when the slave islands were lost and without direction, he moulded a set of men, each of different nationalities and, many possessing a wealth of raw, unmoulded skill, into a pack of hunters. Apart from that, Lloyd was a hungry left-hander who devoured bowling line-ups, in the process leading by example. Darren Sammy is nothing like Lloyd, indeed it would be blasphemous to compare him to the great Guyanese. But he now will be seated with Lloyd, having led West Indies to a World Cup win, albeit in a 20-over version. However what he does in the next few months, or maybe years, will determine whether he manages to go anywhere close to Lloyd, as far as West Indies cricket is concerned.

Cricket had been in turmoil in the Caribbean, off and on the pitch for the past few years. Apart from the well publicized fall-out with Chris Gayle, even Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan had problems with the management. Marlon Samuels had to cope with a 2 year ban and a second string side represented West Indies thanks to a contractual fall out. In the midst, there were murmurs of Trinidad & Tobago wanting to separate and field their own side in international cricket. To make matters worse, West Indies went without a Test series win at home against a non-minnow nations for 4 years before clinching the series against New Zealand earlier this year.

The series win was possible because they were able to field a full strength side in a Test match after quite sometime, with members like Gayle and Sunil Narine in the lineup. New Zealand are by no means a strong Test side, but the way the hosts conquered them, showed that they meant business. The next step was the T20 World Cup. Yes, they won it, but there were a few other things that did not go unnoticed. A team which seemed prone to disintegration and in-fighting did everything to dispel those notions, exuberating heartfelt camaraderie. Players supported each other, with Keiron Pollard thanking Gayle for his motivating words when he came out to bat against Australia in the semi-final. The other important point to note is that every player enjoyed the success of the other and quite literally, celebrated it like his own.

Steve Waugh mentioned in his autobiography that 'a team's victory was imminent when the players were seen laughing and enjoying their net sessions together.' There is nothing to say that it doesn't hold true for a side which does that out in the centre. Sammy's side have proven just that. But is that all? Have they claimed the summit? I'd rather think not. The skipper said in as many words that this was 'just a start and a step in the right direction.' Presumably the right direction should be to mould West Indies into a potent Test team once again and their next assignment is in a country, which was the catalyst for the revival of West Indies cricket in 1975-76. But while a 5-1 scoreline and bruised bodies motivated Clive Lloyd's side to transform themselves, Sammy will have to ensure that they return with just more than a drawn series. Primarily the effort has to come from the management so that the players feel more secure while playing in the maroons or whites. A repeat of the contracts issue or the miscommunication in the case of Gayle will mean that this step forward will be nullified.

Looking at the performances on the field, it is quite natural for the team to be carried away by this win, but Sammy and his support staff, must identify certain drawbacks in this side. Apart from Gayle and Samuels, none of the batsmen displayed any sort of consistency in playing solid knocks. Charles, who impressed against England, was a total failure in the rest of the tournament. If West Indies are to develop into a world-beating side, it is important to find an opener, in all formats, who can take some pressure off Gayle or take the responsibility at a later stage. The middle order looks very fragile and though Pollard is adequate for ODIs, the Test side is too over-dependent on Chanderpaul. Darren Bravo is seen as the answer to that question mark and it remains to be seen how he responds in the future. Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards continue to be the torch-bearers of the famed Caribbean speedsters, but West Indies rely quite a lot on spin. The board must ensure that the talismanic Narine isn't lost to T20 leagues and continue to unearth and shape talents like Samuel Badree and Devendra Bishoo.

The reception that the world audience gave 'Fire in Babylon' reiterated how much the mighty West Indian sides of the 70s and 80s were loved. This time however, a West Indies side competing with the top sides will not only mean renewed interest for the game, but a similar joy as well.

Kumble named chairman of ICC cricket committee

Legendary Indian leg-spinner, Anil Kumble has been named as the new chairman of the ICC cricket committee. He will replace the outgoing chairman, the former West Indian captain, Clive Lloyd. Kumble becomes the second Indian cricketer to take up this post, the other being Sunil Gavaskar. Changes were effected on the committee as well with recently retired England captain, Andrew Strauss replacing Ian Bishop. The decisions were taken during the ICC board meeting in Colombo.

ICC President Alan Isaac said: "I would like to thank Clive Lloyd for his chairmanship of the ICC Cricket Committee and to his tireless contribution to the game. The ICC Board were united in their admiration for his work as chairman. We also thank Ian Bishop for his contribution during his term as well."

"In Anil Kumble, we have a new chairman who has unquestioned experience not only as a player with India but also as an administrator with Karnataka State Cricket Association as well. I am sure that he will carry on Clive's good work and bring, like Andrew Strauss, contemporary thinking to the committee and both understand clearly the issues facing the modern game."

Kumble has proved his administrative capabilities during his tenure as the chairman of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) which is based in Bangalore. Anil is also the current president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), one of the members of the BCCI.

Last month, during the Annual General meeting of the BCCI, Kumble had replaced former India skipper, Sourav Ganguly as the chairman of BCCI's Technical committee.

Kumble is also the chief mentor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) side, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The ICC also extended the tenure of both Mark Taylor (representing former players) and David Kendix (statisticans) for another term.

Deccan Chargers franchise terminated from IPL

It's confirmed now. Deccan Chargers have been terminated from the Indian Premier League. The franchise was told by the Bombay High Court to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 100 crore by 5 pm Friday but it has failed to do so, leaving the court with no other choice.

The Deccan Chargers representatives sought another extension but the court said no to their request.

Earlier in the day, there were rumours that Deccan Chronicle Holdings – the owners, sold the team to a Mumbai-basaed real-estate company Kamla Landmarc, which is owned by Jitendra Jain.

In a letter directed to the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange, Deccan said: "This is to inform you that pursuant to its Meeting of the Board of Directors held on October 11, 2012, it was resolved to authorize the Board of Directors to sell, transfer/dispose off the Deccan Chargers Franchise business undertakings/business division of the Company to Kamla Landmarc Real Estate Holdings Private Limited."

However, the BCCI is yet to confirm the sale.

The Indian cricket board axed the franchise last month after the owners failed to sort out their financial woes. After that, the franchise moved court.

CLT20: Know your teams

In the lead-up to the 2012 Champions League Twenty20, we take a look at seven of the 14 teams in contention for the tournament.

Auckland Aces, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils, Hampshire, Kolkata Knight Rider, Highveld Lions and Mumbai Indians,Perth Scorchers, Sialkot Stallions, Sydney Sixers, Titans, Trinidad & Tobago, Uva Next and Yorkshire.

Auckland Aces

Qualification: Winners, HRV Cup

Captain: Gareth Hopkins

Star value: Martin Guptill, Lou Vincent, Andre Adams, Azhar Mahmood

The Auckland Aces made it to the CLT20 qualifying tournament after they won the HRV Cup beating Canterbury Wizards in the final by 44 runs in January. Led by former New Zealand wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins, the Aces lack international value with only a handful of players with experience at the top level. Much of their success will rest on the role of their top order, including current and former New Zealand openers Martin Guptill and Lou Vincent, as well as the all-round efforts of Andre Adams who has enjoyed much success over the past few years in county cricket. This is Auckland’s second trip to the CLT20 after a win-less qualifiers last year.

 

Chennai Super Kings

Qualification: Runners-up, IPL 5

Captain: MS Dhoni

Star value: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Michael Hussey, Dwayne Bravo, Albie Morkel

This will be CSK's fourth appearance in the CLT20, having won the second edition in 2010. Arguably the strongest Twenty20 franchise in the world, CSK owe their success to a close-knit unit in which the owners have retained much faith. With Dhoni as leader and proven Twenty20 match-winners in the ranks, this is the team to beat. Having failed to win the title in IPL 5, Dhoni's team will be out to gain lost ground with another strong show in South Africa where they won the trophy two years ago.

 

Delhi Daredevils

Qualification: Fourth place in IPL 5

Captain: Mahela Jayawardene

Star value: Mahela Jayawardene, Kevin Pietersen, Morne Morkel, Irfan Pathan, David Warner, Ross Taylor, Virender Sehwag.

A strong Twenty20 side boasting a tremendous batting line-up and quality bowlers, Delhi go into the CLT20 as one of the favourites – should Virender Sehwag be passed fit. They did well in IPL 5 before losing their way at the end, but with Kevin Pietersen, David Warner and Ross Taylor available for the entire tournament they will be a serious threat to opposition teams.

 

Hampshire

Qualification: Winner, Friends Life t20

Captain: Dimitri Mascarenhas

Star value: Shahid Afridi, Dimitri Mascarenhas

Hampshire, winners of the England’s domestic Twenty20 competition, will hope to progress from the CLT20 qualifiers into the proper tournament in their first appearance. Pooled with Auckland and Sialkot Stallions, this team has its task cut out. Lacking international experience, Hampshire will rely heavily on Dimitri Mascarenhas, opener Michael Carberry, former Zimbabwe allrounder Sean Ervine and Shahid Afridi. Also in their ranks is the spin-bowling allrounder Glenn Maxwell, part of Australia’s squad at the ICC World Twenty20.

 

Kolkata Knight Riders

Qualification: Winners, IPL 5

Captain: Gautam Gambhir

Star value: Gautam Gambhir, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, Sunil Narine, Brendon McCullum, Shakib Al Hasan

After winning their first IPL title this year, KKR will enter the CLT20 as one of the favourites. Their star-studded line-up speaks for itself, but key for the Gautam Gambhir-led team will be to adapt to the South African conditions. In 2009 IPL KKR had a woeful time, with then captain Brendon McCullum struggling with the bat and as leader. At home, and coming off a poor World Twenty20, key allrounder Jacques Kallis will be heavily relied upon.

 

Highveld Lions

Qualification: Runners up, T20 Domestic Cup

Captain: TBA

Star value: Neil McKenzie, Sohail Tanvir, Dirk Nannes

The Lions have been weakened by the absence of regular captain Alviro Petersen, who injured his left hand during a recent encounter with the Cape Cobra, and the decisions by Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel to play for their IPL sides. However, with CLT20 experience and knowledge of the home conditions they are not to be underestimated. The new coach Geoffrey Toyana has backed the team to deliver with a good mix of experienced players and exciting new prospects in Chris Morris, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock and Pumelela Matshikwe.

 

Mumbai Indians

Qualification: Direct entry as title holders

Captain: Sachin Tendulkar

Star value: Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Rohit Sharma, Dwayne Smith

The defending champions will be out to retain the trophy in tougher conditions than in India, and with a strong batting and bowling attack at its disposal. With Sachin Tendulkar fit the batting has been solidified and the master veteran will also resume the captaincy. Undoubtedly one of the toughest teams to beat, Mumbai Indians have the firepower to lift another CLT20.

Perth Scorchers

Qualification: Runners-up, Big Bash League 

Captain: Marcus North 

Star value: Herschelle Gibbs, Paul Collingwood, Shaun Marsh

One of the less glamorous sides in the CLT20, the Marcus North-led Australian outfit is a tough Twenty20 side. Key to the side’s success in South Africa will be the performances of the few players with international experience – chiefly veteran batsman Simon Katich, who captained NSW to victory in the CLT20 three years ago, Shaun Marsh, Brad Hogg, Herschelle Gibbs and Paul Collingwood. The team's wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi is also an integral member of the side, having kept outstandingly in this year’s Big Bash League in which Perth were runners-up. This is a side with an able pace-bowling attack.

 

Sialkot Stallions

Qualification: Winners, Faysal Bank T20 

Captain: Shoaib Malik 

Star value: Shoaib Malik, Imran Nazir, Naved-ul-Hasan

This year will see Pakistan’s first representation at the CLT20 in the form of current Faysal Bank T20 winners Sialkot Stallions. The team was also the representatives in the 2008 tournament but that event was cancelled after the Mumbai terrorist attacks and Pakistani teams had been kept out of subsequent tournaments. The Shoaib Malik-led Stallions will need to qualify for the main event and will take on Auckland Aces and Hampshire two days later in a bid to seal their progress. This is a side that won an unprecedented 25 Twenty20 games between 2005 and 2010.

 

Sydney Sixers

Qualification: Winner, Big Bash League  

Captain: Brad Haddin  

Star value: Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Pat Cummins, Nathan McCullum, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith

The stronger of the two Australian teams at the CLT20, Sydney are the winner of the inaugural BBL and have the ability to push the best teams in the tournament. Though David Warner has opted for his IPL franchise, in Shane Watson the team has the best allrounder in the game. Add Steven Smith, Brad Haddin, Michael Lumb and Moises Henriques and the batting looks very good. This is also a fine bowling team, led by Australia's new-ball pair of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc with New Zealand import Nathan McCullum a canny spinner.

 

Titans

Qualifications: Winners, T20 Domestic Cup 

Captain: Martin van Jaarsveld 

Star value: Jacques Rudolph, Roelof van der Merwe

South Africa's T20 champions Titans have been dealt a massive blow with AB de Villiers’ injury ruling him out of the tournament, and that leaves the side lacking a match-winner with the bat and in the field. The side lacks international experience with only captain Martin van Jaarsveld, Roelof van der Merwe, Jacques Rudolph, Paul Harris, Farhaan Behardien and Hieno Kuhn having played for South Africa. What they lack in international exposure the team can hope to make up with in the form of Twenty20 freelancer Alfonso Thomas whose experience around the world makes him a valuable asset. He also has CLT20 experience, having played with Somerset in 2009.

 

Trinidad & Tobago

Qualification: Winners, Caribbean T20 

Captain: Denesh Ramdin 

Star value: Denesh Ramdin, Darren Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons

T&T, who made the finals of the inaugural CLT20 in 2009, will be without their three top players - Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine - who have elected to play for their IPL franchises. However, they will be joined in South Africa by captain and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, legspinner Samuel Badree and batsmen Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo. The squad also boasts of a number of emerging players such as batsman Evin Lewis and allrounder Yannick Ottley, who impressed with a match-winning unbeaten 52 against Bangladesh after Trinidad crumbled to 12 for 5 in the recent Asia versus the Caribbean series. There is also the allrounder Kevon Cooper who made heads turn in IPL 5 playing for Rajasthan Royals.

 

Uva Next

Qualification: Winners, Sri Lanka Premier League 

Captain: Thilina Kandamby  

Star value: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jacob Oram, Umar Gul, Upul Tharanga

The newest of entrants in the race for Twenty20 glory, Uva Next came to prominence after winning the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League this year. A good mix of local Sri Lankan talent and players with international experience – such as captain Thilina Kandamby, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jacob Oram, Umar Gul, Upul Tharanga, Andrew McDonald, Fawad Alam and Dilhara Fernando – Uva Next will be out to prove they belong with the best in the business. Their drawback is that most of their home-grown taken has not experience of South African conditions.

 

Yorkshire

Qualification: Runners-up, Friends Life t20 

Captain: Andrew Gale 

Star value: David Miller, Ryan Sidebottom

The most low-profile of teams at the CLT20, Yorkshire earned a place in the qualifiers after finish second best to Hampshire in England's Friends Life t20 this year. Though they have a host of experience domestic players, Yorkshire lack players with international experience and that leaves much reliance on local boy David Miller and former England fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom. The team suffered a blow shortly before departing for South Africa with news that England batsman Jonny Bairstow had been ruled out due to a wrist injury. Yorkshire will play Uva Next and T&T in the qualifying stage.

 

Don't write off Bhajji yet, says Kumble

Harbhajan Singh's comeback at the world T20 was a mixed bag. He took four wickets against England, but was thrashed for 20 runs in two overs by the Australians.

The attack by David Warner, coupled with Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to stick to a seven batsmen- four bowler policy, saw Harbhajan sitting out of India's remaining matches.

But India's highest Test wicket- taker Anil Kumble feels it would be foolish to count Harbhajan out. "You can never discard Harbhajan. He has more than 400 Test wickets to his name and he is only 31 or 32, which is the right age for a spinner to mature," he said, on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Tenvic Sports Academy at Ryan International School, Rohini.

The chairman of the BCCI technical committee had words of praise for new spin spearhead R Ashwin.

" Ashwin has matured a lot in the few matches he has played. On the international front, I think Graeme Swann is going great and Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal is also doing wonders," Kumble said.

Another issue that has been a cause of much debate in Indian cricket of late is how long Sachin Tendulkar will carry on. The maestro himself told a TV channel that he will reassess his career in November as he thinks there is not much cricket left in him.

Kumble, a former India captain, felt that that it would be tough for the team without Tendulkar. " I can't think of Indian cricket without him. I want to see him play," he said.

"It is never easy to call it a day when you are playing for so long."

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/world-t20-dont-write-off-bhajji-yet-says-kumble/1/223669.html

Will reassess future plans in November: Sachin Tendulkar

After a mind-boggling 23 years at the top, Sachin Tendulkar retains his hunger for the game and his appetite for excellence. But how long can he go on?

For the first time, in an exc

lusive interview to Times Now, to be telecast on Friday, the legend opened up about his possible retirement, admitting that at 39, there wasn't much cricket left in him.

The call to retire would be a tough one, the maestro said, adding that he would go with what his heart said. "At the moment, my heart says I am okay."

"The moment of retirement is going to be hard because I haven't experienced anything close to what I might go through when I retire," he said. Asked if he would retire from all formats of the game at one go, he said, "It again depends on what my heart tells me then. I need not take a call right now. When I play in November, I will reassess things."

 

Sachin Tendulkar, in this exclusive interview, says it is going to be difficult to 'suddenly hang my boots one day'.

The country loves you because of your ability to remain focused on your game. It is also true that getting involved by reacting to things being spoken about you could be a distraction. But do you feel that you are pushing yourself too hard to be competitive and stay on top at this stage of your career and life?

I have always been pushing myself, for the last 22 years and more, to play for India. It had always been a dream. When you play for India, you are playing a team sport. The 15-member squad has to move in the direction that the team wants you to move in. Everyone is striving to achieve something unique. Especially because it is a matter of pride and honour to play for India. Therefore, there is no reason why I should not be pushing myself too hard. In fact, if I don't, then you should question me on why I am not pushing myself hard enough. I care about playing cricket for India. This is something I am not willing to make a compromise on. The day I stop playing, I do not want to feel that I did not give it my best shot.

'PRESSURE BRINGS OUT BEST IN ME'

People say that Sachin is pushing himself so hard that the Sachin who we see is not the Sachin that we know. You almost hit the wicket with your bat and raised your hand in anger when you were bowled for the third time in a series against New Zealand...

We are always under pressure. There is no stage where a sportsman is not under pressure. Although, it is good to be under pressure, which will bring out the best in you. Personally, being nervous brings out the best in me and I prefer it that way. Also, there is no batsman who feels happy after getting out. In this context, I was disappointed because I wanted to win the match for India, but I got bowled. But this reaction was blown out of proportion and pin-pointed conveniently. It was a natural reaction. You cannot expect me to take people's permission to react in a certain way.

Sunil Gavaskar said, "Two consecutive innings, the master has been bowled. The gap between the pad and the bat is a worrying sign. This is never a good sign for a great batsman." This comment was made after the second Test in August. It is Sunil Gavaskar who made this comment, and not somebody else.

Sunil Gavaskar has also said positive things about me. When there have been a lot of positive feedback as well, why keep harping only on the negative comments? Ultimately, if I am out, I am out. I can't get stuck on one article about me and try to create something that the person is hoping to create out of it. I need to stay focused on the game and constantly keep finding ways to improve myself.

Azharuddin has also said, "It is clear that his reflexes have slowed down. His feet are not moving well in the crease, and is constantly playing across the line."

When I met Sir Don Bradman in 1998-99 on his 90th birthday, he told me that it is natural for a batsman to change after he is 30. I have played quite well for 9 years after I turned 30. It is natural for any person to slow down as he grows older.

'I WILL GO WITH WHAT MY HEART SAYS'

What about retirement?

I am 39 and I don't think I have plenty of cricket left in me. But it depends on my frame of mind and my physical ability to deliver. When I feel that I am not delivering what is needed, and then I will re-look at the scheme of things. I am already 39 and no one expects me to go on playing forever. I will go with what my heart says. There are two different things -- scoring runs and what I feel. For instance, if this three-wicket ordeal had happened when I was 25, no one would have questioned it. Incidentally, it happened when I am 39, so questions were raised. This is natural. But I am still the best judge of what happens to my mind and body. When I feel it is time, I will take a call. It is going to be a tough call nevertheless. It is going to be tough because this is what I have been doing all my life. It is going to be difficult to suddenly hang my boots one day.

Have you been thinking about that moment?

Of course, I have been. I am 39 plus and it is not abnormal for me to think of it. At that moment, I will go by what my heart says. At this moment, my heart says I am okay. But you will have to look at series by series.

Can you be a little more specific about retirement? How many more years?

Nobody decides in this manner. I do not know what is in store. I wish I knew. If I did know, I wouldn't have had to wait for 22 years to lift the World Cup. Perhaps, I would have done it in the first instance in Australia in 91-92 then.

So would you hang your boots in the next 1-2 years?

I am looking at it series by series. As long as I feel that I can deliver, I will continue playing. It also depends on what the team feels and whether I am motivated enough to continue being on top of the game.

Do you consciously stay away from people's opinions about you and not get affected by them?

I have always stayed away from what people say about me, right from my younger days. My brother always told me that I need to keep away from all this to stay focused on the game. Irrespective of criticisms or praises that come your way, it is important to stay focused and keep improving your game.

'MOMENT OF RETIREMENT WILL BE HARD'

Is it true that you are trying to take your 190 Test matches record to 200 and therefore, you could possibly retire in South Africa next year?

No. I go series by series, rather than by numbers. I will keep playing till I feel that I can deliver.

What would be the moment of retirement for you?

I don't know. It is going to be hard because I haven't experienced anything close to what I might go through when I retire. I cannot relate this moment with any other moment in my life. It will be a tough call.

When you retire, will you retire from all formats of the game?

It again depends on what my heart tells me then. I need not take a call right now. When I play in November, I will re-assess things.

When you do retire, would you like to retire on a tour abroad?

Let us not contextualise it. It will be a momentary decision. 

Sehwag in doubt for CLT20

Virender Sehwag is in doubt for the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 after he was advised two weeks of rest because of a ligament injury he sustained during India's last Super Eights game in the ICC World Twenty20 against South Africa.

Sehwag strained a ligament in his left ankle while celebrating the dismissal of Jacques Kaliis in the fourth over last night. According to the Indian team's media manager Dr R N Baba, the right-hander has been advised rest for 14 days.

Sehwag had a poor World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, scoring only 54 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 112.

He limped off the field to be replaced by Manoj Tiwary, and did not return to the field again.

The injury comes as a big blow for Delhi Daredevils for whom Sehwag remains a key player despite relinquishing captaincy duties to Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene for CLT20 to be held in South Africa from October 9.

The Daredevils are scheduled to open their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders on October 13 in Centurion.

Harbhajan to lead Punjab in Ranji Trophy

Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was named captain of the Punjab team for the Ranji Trophy. The 15-man squad, which was announced by the state's senior selection committee after a meeting at the PCA stadium, also included Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.

Mandeep Singh, who impressed as the openers for Kings XI Punjab in IPL season-5, has been named Harbhajan's deputy.

The other members of the squad include Karan Goel, Jeevanjot Singh, Uday Kaul, Mayank Sidana, Amitoz Singh, Rahul Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Manpreet Gony, Sandeep Sharma, Gurkirat Mann, Bipul Sharma and Rajwinder Golu.

The players have been asked to report to the camp on October 8. The camp will take place under the watchful eyes of Harvinder Singh, the bowling coach of Punjab team.

"Apart from the camp, the players will play two 2-day matches to assess their fitness level," said M P Pandove, Honorary Secretary, PCA.

The selection committee also named the under-25 squad, which will be captained by Taruwar Kohli.

The other members of the team include Ravi Inder Singh, Simrat Bawa, Gurkirat Walia, Himanshu Chawla, Gitansh Khera, Gurinder Singh, Yogesh Kumar, Rahul Singla, Beant Singh, Deepak Bansal, Kamal Passi, Amit Prashar, Preet Kamal and Sharad Lumba.

Injured AB de Villiers ruled out of CL T20

South African franchisee Titans were served a severe blow ahead of the T20 Cricket League as Proteas ODI and T20I skipper AB de Villiers was ruled out of the tournament with multiple injuries. de Villiers sustained two injuries during the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and will now undergo treatment to ensure he makes the national team for the tour to Australia which starts next month.

The 28 year old sustained lower back and ankle injuries which ruled him out of the multi-starrer tournament. He became the second Titans player to be ruled out of the tourney with Marchant de Lange being ruled out last month with a back injury.

South Africa manager Mohammed Moosajee said the skipper needed rest and rehabilitation for 3-4 weeks but should be fit for the three-test series in Australia, which starts on Nov. 9.

Moosajee added that the injuries are worse than before, but "if we manage him properly he'll be fine ... if we don't manage him it'll be a problem."

Titans will play Australian side Perth Scorchers in the tournament opener on the 13th of October.

Liam Plunkett joins Yorkshire from Durham

England international bowler Liam Plunkett has crossed the county boundary to join promoted Yorkshire from Durham, his new club announced on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old has signed a three-year deal at the Leeds-based side ahead of their return to the County Championship Division One next season.

Plunkett has played nine Tests, 21 One-Day Internationals -- the last of which came in February against Australia -- and one Twenty20 for England.

He will be reunited at Headingley with former Durham head coach Martyn Moxon, who is now Yorkshire's director of cricket.

"I am delighted to be joining Yorkshire for next season," Plunkett said. "The opportunity to join one of the biggest clubs in the country was too good to turn down.

"The club has had a strong 2012 and I believe adding myself and Jack Brooks to the current squad will give us the best bowling attack in the country and will help propel us towards silverware in 2013."