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Lasith Malinga has agreed in principle to join Tasmania and Sri Lanka’s frontline spinners, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, are close to signing with Victoria and South Australia respectively for next season’s Twenty20 Big Bash competition. The news comes amid rumours that Queensland are contemplating a scenario in which Andrew Flintoff – whom they almost signed last season – would play the latter stages of the tournament at the conclusion of England’s tour of South Africa.Malinga’s prospective move, along with those of Chris Gayle (Western Australia) and Dwayne Bravo (Victoria), will greatly boost the profile and prestige of Australia’s domestic Twenty20 tournament. That will be further enhanced if, as expected, Muralitharan and Mendis ink deals within the coming weeks, and New South Wales fulfill their ambition of luring Kumar Sangakkara.But a late-tournament cameo from Flintoff could overshadow all others. Injury prevented the former England captain from turning out for Queensland last season, and a dash across the Indian Ocean after England’s tour of South Africa could be on the cards. Trevor Barsby, the Queensland coach, will head to England this month to meet with several international players whom the Bulls are interested in for next season, although it is not known whether Flintoff is among them.The involvement of Malinga and his Sri Lankan team-mates will be subject to availability as the national team is scheduled to take part in a one-day tour of Bangladesh in January, although there are significant doubts that that series will go ahead. Malinga was the leading wicket-taker among non-Indian players in the recent IPL, collecting 18 at 17.33, and his fast, slinging style will presumably prove a handful for Australian domestic batsmen.”Twenty20 cricket is a such a hard game for bowlers and it’s so batsman-friendly, but he is a guy who has actually found a way to dominate with the ball pretty regularly,” Tim Coyle, Tasmania’s coach, said. “He is fast, he bowls fantastic yorkers, he’s got a good change of pace and the research we have done, he is a fantastic fellow as well.”Each state is allowed two foreign players for the Big Bash and Cricket Australia has given each team an extra $50,000 to help attract the big names.

Shane Bond, Daryl Tuffey and Lou Vincent could all be playing for New Zealand again as early as August after the New Zealand Herald reported that the trio are about to sever their ties with the rebel ICL.Tuffey has been offered a termination and after consulting with lawyers has accepted it. The paper reports that Vincent has also quit, and while it is expected Bond will do the same, it says that might take longer in his case.Heath Mills, the head of the NZ Players’ Association, said scrapping the existing contracts would probably mean the three would not get what was owed to them, but he added that there was no guarantee there would be another season of ICL anyway.Bond was non committal, but said that he “hoped something will happen soon,” adding: “My training is going really well and I want to get back into it.”

Discussions between the PCB, ECB and Cricket Australia (CA) are at an advanced stage as the three parties try and find a way of rescheduling Pakistan’s ‘home’ series against Australia in England next summer.Australia were due to tour Pakistan for a full series in March 2008 but pulled out because of security concerns. The tour was postponed, but after the terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team in March this year and the subsequent ICC move to take the 2011 World Cup away from Pakistan, international cricket within Pakistan is all but ruled out for the next few years. The PCB, therefore, is looking for ways to minimize the impact on its FTP and is actively looking at neutral venues where it can stage future home commitments.Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where Pakistan just played an ODI series against Australia, is one option but England has always been another, ever since Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, floated the idea last year.”There is a lot of discussion going on between the three parties,” an official involved in the negotiations told Cricinfo. “Nothing has been finalised just yet but we are getting closer to the possibility that Pakistan plays its Tests against Australia in England next year.”There are obstacles still in the way before any agreement is reached. The first is the itinerary: CA wants to play two Tests and two Twenty20 internationals, while the Pakistan board is keener on a three-Test and three-ODI series. Whichever schedule is settled upon, it will have to be worked in between three international series in the English summer: Bangladesh are touring in May-June for a Test and ODI series and West Indies in July and August. Additionally, in June, Australia are due to play a five-match ODI series with England. Further complication may come in the form of the P20, the ECB’s answer to the IPL, which begins from next summer and may involve international players.Other hurdles are TV rights and the costs involved. Sky Television has the rights to England’s home Tests but this covers those contests where England are the hosts. As the rights holder to Pakistan’s home contests, Ten Sports are likely to be the broadcaster. “The TV rights are a pressing question,” the official said. “It is crucial for the PCB to continue to benefit from broadcasting rights and Ten Sports and Sky will have to come up with some kind of compromise to ensure that happens. It shouldn’t be a problem.”As the PCB found in the series against Australia in the UAE, the costs involved in hosting a ‘home’ series at a neutral venue are prohibitive. Cash-strapped already – though perhaps not as much as initially thought – the cost of holding a series in England will have to be weighed up seriously. “As it was in Dubai, the costs in the UK will be very high,” a PCB official said. “That is something we really have to look at, in terms of how much revenue we will be able to generate.”The venues for the series are yet to be decided though cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham – traditionally home to large British Asian populations – are likely to be on any shortlist.

The PCB has filed a case in a Lahore court against the ICC’s decision to move the headquarters of the 2011 World Cup from Lahore to Mumbai. This effectively heightens the row over the decision to remove Pakistan as a co-host for the 2011 World Cup.”The (ICC) board has no authority to move the secretariat and that’s why we have filed the case,” the PCB’s legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi told . “We have to fight all out against a decision which is legally flawed and to step up our pressure, we have sued the ICC, IDI (ICC Development International) and the Central Organising Committee (for) World Cup 2011.”The IDI gave the World Cup to four countries… so the ICC Executive Board was not entitled to take a decision on a World Cup move, only the annual general meeting can take such a decision.”Rizvi added that until an ICC dispute committee or the the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) resolve the case, the World Cup Secretariat could not be moved out of Pakistan. “Pakistan can also claim a relief on the relocation of the secretariat,” he said.A civil judge, Mohammad Younis Anis, sent notices to the ICC, IDI – the ICC’s commercial arm – and the tournament’s central organising committee to respond to the PCB’s suit by May 18. “The judge has recorded our preliminary statement, now let’s see how the three parties respond to the notices.”The PCB served a legal notice to the ICC after cricket’s governing body had stripped Pakistan of its rights to co-host the 2011 World Cup, following the terrorist attack in Lahore when gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus. On Tuesday, the PCB sent a letter to Michael Beloff, president of the ICC Disputes Resolution Committee, to refer the matter to the CAS.

Allrounder Roelof van der Merwe’s impressive international debut in the Twenty20 against Australia at Centurion on Sunday has earned him a place in the one-day squad for the first two matches. van der Merwe top scored with 48 and took the wicket of David Hussey with his left-arm spin to set up the team’s 17-run win and bag the Man-of-the-Match award.Chief selector Mike Procter said van der Merwe will be a welcome addition to the squad for the injured Jacques Kallis.”Roelof as an allrounder provides us with cover for Jacques Kallis who is recovering from a groin injury,” Procter said. “Jacques’ fitness will be assessed by our medical team when the squad assembles in Durban today.”South Africa experimented with their line-up for Sunday’s match, resting Dale Steyn and Hashim Amla among others to try out their Twenty20 stars and Procter was excited by the young talent.”Roelof, Yusuf Abdulla and Robin Peterson have all performed outstandingly from the opportunities they have been given which is extremely encouraging. It enables us to broaden the base of our playing talent and gives us some exciting options when we select the squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in England in June,” Procter said.”Although he is not part of the ODI squad, Yusuf Abdulla will practise with the Proteas this week to give him another opportunity to work within the national team environment.”The first two ODIs are at Kingsmead and Centurion on Friday and Sunday.

QEA Final

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Khan Research Laboratories progressed cautiously on the first day of the final against Sialkot at the Jinnah Stadium, reaching 208 for 4, with opener Azhar Ali remaining unbeaten on 84. Put into bat, the KRL openers provided their team with a solid start, adding 63. However, the Sialkot bowlers struck at regular intervals to keep the opposition in check. Naved Arif, the left-arm medium fast bowler, accounted for opener Saeed Anwar jnr, who scored 30 off 47 balls. Wicketkeeper Zulfiqar Jan fell soon after – caught off Sarmad Anwar – as KRL lost two wickets for 16.Azhar and Ali Naqvi then added 43 but left-arm spinner Nayer Abbas – who finished the day with 2 for 50 – broke the stand, dismissing Naqvi for 17. After captain Mohammad Wasim fell with the score on 153, KRL were in a spot of bother but a laborious yet effective partnership of 55 between Azhar and Bazid Khan ensured there were no more setbacks. The current stand holds the key for KRL’s fortunes as they look to consolidate tomorrow.

Michael Holding has slammed the lack of responsibility in West Indies cricket as the region comes to terms with yesterday’s sensational abandonment of the second Test against England at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua. The match lasted a mere 10 balls, owing to an outfield deluged in sand, and an unsurprised Holding was quick to point the finger at the WICB.”We have seen things like this happen in the Caribbean before. Whenever we have things like this happening, like in 1998 when the Test match was abandoned [at Sabina Park], there were no repercussions,” Holding said in an audio interview with Cricinfo. “And I suspect there will be no repercussions either. No one will lose their jobs; no one will be asked to resign. If you ask the people responsible whether they will resign, they’ll just say ‘but why? Why should we resign?’ So it will happen again. Once you have no repercussions, you will always have repeats.”It will hit home for the next two weeks. But after two weeks, everyone will move on. That is the way things operate around here when people have no repercussions, when people don’t suffer for their mistakes. Or their incompetence. If you don’t suffer for your incompetence, everything moves on. Whenever anything goes wrong, no one suffers.”What angered many, not least the hundreds of touring supporters, was why the Test was even allowed to start in the first place.”Cricket in the Caribbean can be considered quite different from a lot of other parts of the world, in that all islands are sovereign nations,” Holding said. “They all have their own flag, their own anthem, their own governments, currency…and all of them believe ‘OK. This Test match belongs to me, and I am in charge of this Test,’ whatever island it is. The West Indies Cricket Board are sometimes a bit loath to send people outside the island to say ‘ok, let me check on this island, its facilities, and see if it’s up to scratch’ because of the politics of the region.”But the WICB have to get away from that. It doesn’t matter whose toes they are stepping on, whose corn they are crunching – they have got to make sure that wherever matches are being played, facilities are up to scratch. They can no longer say ‘oh it’s the Antigua Cricket Association’s responsibility’ – it is the WICB’s responsibility and it’s time for them to stop thinking about whose toes they are stepping on, and be responsible for all cricket and get whatever has to be done, done.”Prior to the Test, both camps had expressed their concerns at the bowlers’ run-ups. So sandy were they that neither Jerome Taylor or Fidel Edwards could gain any sort of traction, and the flimsy base provided no stability as they attempted to launch themselves into their delivery strides.”Jerome Taylor came to me before the toss had been spun and he asked me something about KP,” Holding said. “But he also asked me about the outfield, how is he going to deal with it. I told him: ‘All I can tell you is do not fight it. If you’re fighting against sand, you’re going to come off worse, your legs will get tired. Try as much as you can to float over the surface. I know you’re not prepped for this, but try not to sink into it too deep.’ And that’s a ridiculous thing to tell a fast bowler. You’re looking to run in and really power through and reach top pace when you deliver the ball.”He tried a few balls over the wicket, then went around the wicket to see if it was firmer. That is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.”After a hastily arranged meeting by the Antigua Cricket Association and the ICC, the Test was cancelled and moved to the Antigua Recreation Ground – a venue dripping in history, though none of it recent. It hasn’t staged a Test since 2006 and has gradually fallen into disuse. Holding remained cautiously optimistic that the ground would be ready in time for Sunday’s third Test, but sent a strong reminder to those who run the game in the West Indies.”I think the West Indies as a region should sit down and realise this has given us a bad name. Either they [administrators] say that they love the West Indies, they love Caribbean cricket and they don’t want to do it any harm. Or they say, ‘okay it’s the norm. Why get upset? It’s a third world region’. And we should be ashamed of that. If that’s the reason, we should be ashamed.”

Richard Pyrah, the Yorkshire allrounder, has a signed a contract extension with the club that will keep him at Headingley until the end of the 2010 season.While Pyrah wasn’t a regular in the Championship team he became a valuable member of the one-day side where his medium pace was an important asset, especially in the Twenty20 Cup.”I’m delighted with the deal. I think it is an exciting time for the club,” Pyrah said. “With the way things went for me last year I’m quite positive about playing in all competitions if I can start the season well.”Pyrah has recently returned from a three-and-a-half month spell in Wellington and is now preparing for pre-season with the Yorkshire squad, which this year will include the former England captain Michael Vaughan as he tries to win back his Test place.Yorkshire are also under a new captain in 2009 with Anthony McGrath having taken over from Darren Gough who retired at the end of last season.

Andrew Symonds has been fined A$4000 for calling Brendon McCullum a “lump of s…” during a radio interview following a hearing in Melbourne on Thursday. Symonds pleaded guilty to a charge of “detrimental public comment” after being reported by Cricket Australia on Tuesday.Gordon Lewis, the code of conduct senior commissioner, issued the fine – which is less than a match fee for a one-day international – following the hearing at Cricket Australia’s offices. Symonds had previously apologised to McCullum for the incident, which occurred last Friday during an interview with the comedians Roy and HG.”Whilst the comments were intended to be light-hearted, I acknowledge that they were careless and as such I accept the fine that I have received today,” Symonds told AAP. “I am pleased that the commissioner determined the penalty based on the full 14-minute interview, and not just the one comment that received extensive coverage.”I want to again apologise to Brendon McCullum for my comments and thank him for his understanding. I want to reinforce that I remain committed to Cricket Australia and Queensland Cricket, and I look forward to putting this matter behind me so that I can focus on my cricket.”Symonds was talking about McCullum’s signing to play for New South Wales in the domestic Twenty20 final when he said: “They’re trying to use him [McCullum] as the out because he’s a Kiwi. Yep, we love to hate them, but he’s the lump of s…, sorry, lump of cow dirt, that people are thinking of.” Symonds had been drinking before the interview but made his grade comeback the following day.The decision leaves Symonds free to continue his recovery from knee surgery and he will play for Queensland in Friday’s Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the Gabba. There were some calls for Symonds to have his national contract cancelled, but he remains available for the tour to South Africa, with the squad being named next week.The hearing came after Symonds was involved in an altercation with a man at a Brisbane pub on his return to the Test team in November, which followed his suspension for going fishing in Darwin instead of attending a team meeting. Symonds has been undergoing counselling since the incident in the Northern Territory and his psychologist has supported his international comeback.

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It took just 2.3 overs for Zimbabweans on the final day to complete a victory against the Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy. Having made the perfect start to their tour of Bangladesh with a 195-run win in this three-day fixture, the Zimbabweans will now have their tails up for the upcoming tri-series involving the hosts and Sri Lanka.Resuming on their overnight score of 107 for 8, Mithun Ali was out first ball, caught behind by Tatenda Taibu to give Ray Price a five-wicket haul. Rubel Hossain, who has been included in the 14-man Bangladesh squad for the tri-series and the three ODIs against Zimbabwe, did not last long either. He was dismissed in identical fashion, caught by Taibu, as Ray Price ended with 6 for 21 for the innings.The first match of the tri-series gets underway on Saturday with Zimbabwe taking on Bangladesh.