Yorkshire are reported to have received clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to play for the county this summer despite his participation in the unauthorised Indian Cricket League (ICL). A PCB official, however, denied this was the case, and said the matter was between the county and the England board (ECB).It had been thought that the PCB would refuse a No Objection Certificate (NOC) in view of his ICL links, and even when Mushtaq Ahmed was granted an NOC last week, it was believed that was not relevant to Naved-ul-Hasan as he had played international cricket more recently.Naved-ul-Hasan will now have to submit his application for registration to the ECB which is unlikely to be refused if he has an NOC as the board has always maintained that the certificate was the key document in the process.But a PCB official told Cricinfo that an NOC had not been given, though he suggested it might not be needed in this case. “Rana is not contracted to the PCB anymore and he is not allowed to play domestic cricket in Pakistan either. Therefore, this is a matter for Yorkshire and the ECB to resolve among themselves now. We have not given an NOC because he is not contracted to us, nor will he play domestically.”If Naved-ul-Hasan does play, this would seem to indicate a loosening in the policy all major countries have so far adopted against players participating in the ICL, by barring them from playing elsewhere internationally or domestically.
Percy Sonn, the president of the ICC, has died in Cape Town at the age of 57. He suffered complications following a routine operation on his colon last Monday..Sonn’s predecessor as ICC president, Ehsan Mani, led his tributes: “As a cricket administrator and a man, Percy Sonn was a giant. In all the circles in which he moved, he commanded a huge amount of respect and that was never more obvious than when he was in an ICC board meeting. Percy never spoke for the sake of it but when he did speak people listened. He was one of the most intelligent men I have ever met and cricket will be much the poorer for his passing.”Sonn, the former president of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB), succeeded Mani at the helm of the ICC in June 2006, and immediately announced his intentions to be a “hands-off” president. This declaration was borne out by his low profile during the World Cup; after delivering his speech at the opening ceremony in Jamaica, he returned to South Africa for several weeks of the 47-day tournament, although that decision may have been attributable to his ill-health.The last time Sonn was seen in public was at the final of the World Cup in Barbados last month, when he was one of several dignitaries to be booed as they walked onto the podium following the farcical finish to the match. However Ricky Ponting, who received the trophy from Sonn as captain of the victorious Australian team, said: “I will always associate Percy with one of the happiest moments of my career.”Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive, said: “Percy was never afraid to speak his mind but his great skill, especially in meetings where discord was possible, was to do so in such a way that he got everyone together and pulling in the same direction. Percy was utterly committed to the game at all levels and his mantras were that the game had to be inclusive rather than exclusive and that it had to be played the right way, to be true to the Spirit of Cricket.”Sonn’s career in the game’s administration began while he was still a teenager in South Africa, in the midst of the Apartheid regime. He emerged as a leading administrator when he served as vice-president to Hassan Howa at the Western Province Cricket Board, for nine years from 1974, taking over the role of President of the Board from 1990 to 1992. He served as a vice-president of the South African Cricket Board before the UCBSA was formed, played a crucial role in the unity process in 1991.Ray Mali, president of the South African board, said Sonn’s legacy in South Africa would be a strong sport with role models from all sections of society. “This is a terrible shock and a devastating piece of news as I have lost a close personal friend,” added Mali. “I know Percy was so proud to represent South Africa and the whole continent of Africa as the ICC’s first president from this part of the world and he filled the role with great dignity and strength.”Percy was a great administrator who played a key role in the integration process the game underwent in South Africa either side of the end of Apartheid,” added Mali. “Percy never saw problems, just challenges, and usually he rose to those challenges, never more so than when he helped resolve the problems that existed within the administration of Kenyan cricket in the early years of this decade.”Sonn’s career in cricket administration was often tinged with controversy. In January 2002, as president of the UCBSA, he caused a public rumpus by overruling the selection of Jacques Rudolph for the New Year Test against Australia, opting instead for Rudolph’s black room-mate, Justin Ontong. And at Paarl during the 2003 World Cup, he caused a major embarrassment due to his well-documented fondness for a drink.Away from cricket, Sonn experienced a hugely varied career. Educated at Belgravia Senior Secondary school and the University of the Western Cape, he obtained a Law degree in 1972 and acted as a senior counsel during the match-fixing controversies in 2000. He also worked as an Attorney and an Advocate, served as Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and a legal advisor to the South African Police Service (SAPS).Sonn also formed and then headed the Directorate of Special Operations in South Africa, the organisation known as the Scorpions, which went after the perpetrators of serious economic offences, organized crime and drug trafficking. Latterly he was the CEO of a forensic investigation company.He is survived by his wife Sandra, and three children.
First came a sigh; then came the standing ovation. The moment the third umpire flashed the red light, declaring Brian Lara out for 36, he smiled. A wave of disappointment engulfed the ground – like some giant party being pooped – before Lara began his quick walk back to the pavilion. His final one-day innings at home had just been cut short, but Lara wasn’t going to moan. He was going to enjoy every moment of his walk back to the pavilion, saluting those who had watched him on his home turf.”It’s a difficult situation, knowing that I might not play ODI cricket here again,” he said when asked about his thoughts. “I’ve had a great time playing in Trinidad and Tobago. As I exited the field, Bravo took over things. He’s from Santa Cruz and probably the next one to look forward to, locally at least. I’ve enjoyed my time and the public at T&T have enjoyed me playing here. The public pay to watch cricket and at the end of it both parties usually leave saying ‘you’ve done a good job’. I must thank the public for their support through the years. I would love to play another Test match here. It may not happen in 2007. But I hope this is not the last.”Though he preferred to talk about the win, one that was achieved without a number of key players, Lara added that it wouldn’t make too much of a difference when the Test series gets underway. “What we won today has to do with one-day cricket. We won without Collymore [injured during the game], Chanderpaul, Edwards, Samuels – key players in our team. Psychologically we know they’re down but they are aware that we’re starting afresh on Friday. We now have to come up and face them full on … play competitive cricket and win the big points. You need to play well over 15 sessions. I will take nothing much from here into the Test series.”I think this is a great performance. We played the first game against Zimbabwe on April 29. I think we’ve won 10 of our last 11 games, and that’s including the last match in New Zealand. That is a very, very good run. I’m proud of the guys. But we have bigger fish to fry. We came in with confidence but this is just five days of cricket against India. We have 20 days of cricket to go. That is the ultimate test. We’re going to enjoy this but we know how important the next few weeks are.”When asked what the most satisfying part of this team’s victory was, Lara revealed that he’d been thoroughly satisfied with their planning ahead of the games. “What I’ve enjoyed and noticed about the team – I’m not going to go into details – is that 9 o’ clock meeting before practice and sometimes 6 o’ clock meeting in the afternoon is where we win the game. That’s exactly where we won the games. We discuss different things and come out of the meeting coming really, really strong and confident.”But what had gone wrong with India? Lara spoke about excessive cricket being one of the reasons but added that the main difference had been the absence of one man. “I think the West Indies team is a better one-day team than Indian team. Sachin Tendulkar will make a difference in any series. He is such a key player. He wasn’t there for the Super Series and we lost everything. He has over 300 ODIs and is the best batsman in the world.”
Victory was in sight for India in the first Test, never more so than when they had New Zealand six wickets down for 169 just before tea, but in the end the portents of the last two days and of history proved to be sound. Craig McMillan and Nathan Astle both made their second fifty-plus scores of the match, and batted for over 40 overs to make the game safe for New Zealand. The Test match, which was at its crackling best on the second evening when Zaheer Khan shot out the New Zealand top order, meandered to a draw, as India could not recreate that intensity and found the task of labouring for every New Zealand wicket too difficult after a point.The best moments of the day came in the first two sessions, which saw some fascinating tussles between the Indian spinners and the two best New Zealand batsmen on the day, Lou Vincent and McMillan. Anil Kumble, lost from view over nine months of nothing but one-day cricket, was seen again in his best form.Kumble bowled 33 overs in the day, as did his fellow spinner Harbhajan Singh, and it was only when he tired late in the afternoon that New Zealand began to play him with assurance. Sourav Ganguly only turned to him in the 13th over of the day, but when he came on he immediately made an impact, hurrying a ball through the defences of Daryl Tuffey and hitting his middle stump (68 for 2). India scented victory when Stephen Fleming fell shortly after to the wiles of Harbhajan, and then Kumble struck again, hitting Scott Styris flush on the front foot with a quicker delivery and ending his brief three-ball visit to the wicket (86 for 4).But New Zealand put together two crucial partnerships after this, as first Vincent and McMillan and then McMillan and Astle put paid to India’s chances. Vincent and McMillan produced a spurt of runs for New Zealand in the hour after lunch, taking full advantage of some adventurous field placements by Ganguly, and taking New Zealand past 150. It was Kumble again who brought India back into the game, in an over that exemplified the battle of wits fought between the New Zealand batsmen and him.
Kumble, who bowled over the wicket for most of the day,came round the wicket at the beginning of the over with two close-in fielders on the leg side, and just a mid-on and a deep square leg behind them. Vincent knocked the first ball for four through the yawning gap at midwicket, and then, emboldened by the stroke, rushed down the pitch to the next ball to take it on the half-volley and hit it away through the same gap for another boundary.Kumble came back over the wicket, and plugged away again at an off-stump line, but the rush of runs seemed to have had some effect on Vincent. Having hardly made a run on the offside all day, he shaped to cut a Kumble legbreak, was defeated by its lack of pace off the pitch, and bottom-edged it onto his stumps, spinning away in agony as he surveyed the damage behind him (150 for 5). Vincent batted with exemplary discipline for his 67, from 184 balls. He put on 64 for the fifth wicket with McMillan.
India might reflect that they got as far into the New Zealand batting as they did because of Nathan Astle’s indisposition. Astle suffered a stomach upset, and only came into bat at No.8, after Jacob Oram was out (169 for 6). In the first innings he had led the way for New Zealand with good support from McMillan, but this time the roles were reversed.McMillan’s 83 not out, off 191 balls, was the effort that put the game beyond India, for he batted with assurance, and the determination of one who has just returned to form after a long spell in the doldrums – his highest score in his eight Test innings before this game was 18, and he was dropped from the side for the tour of Sri Lanka. As in the first innings, he did much of his batting down on his front knee, sweeping or lapping the spinners.Often there was an element of risk in these strokes, as they flew off the top edge into the leg side. But even if these shots were not strictly necessary, he seemed to feel that playing them prevented the building up of the tension that comes from being scoreless for long periods of time. His methods were sometimes unconventional, but they worked, and New Zealand will proceed to the second Test at Mohali still level in the series.Now if only they could so something to their bowling, they could begin to think of winning it.Chandrahas Choudhury is a staff writer with Wisden Asia Cricket.
At the unveiling of the Samsung Cup trophy for the India-Pakistan series, Rahul Dravid had a few things to say about strategy, pressure and, yet again, keeping wicket in one-dayers. The following quotes are from reports that appeared in AFP, The Indian Express, The Times of India, and The Asian Age.
On security and pressures: I think enough has been said and done about the security bit, it’s now time to think about the cricket. Honestly, people tend to exaggerate the pressures. They imagine that cricketers get affected [by everything], but they don’t. We are excited as most of us will be touring Pakistan for the first time. This is the only time I’ve seen players as eager for play to start as the fans. It should be a great experience.About strategy and staying focussed: I am just watching a lot of video clips and practicing hard. It is very difficult to recreate conditions like those in Pakistan. So you just have to practice as you normally would and hope to adapt to the conditions quickly. The fact that we played some good, intense cricket in Australia will work to our advantage in Pakistan. We want to take the intensity on to the Pakistan series.Keeping in one-dayers: It’s becoming too boring to answer. What I feel doesn’t matter. It all depends on the team’s strategy. I’ll do what the team management, coach, [and the] captain want. This tour will be a good opportunity for a young keeper like Parthiv to perform and establish himself in the team.The pitches in Pakistan: One or two pitches may have some bounce and pace and sting. Not all wickets in Pakistan are slow. In the series against South Africa last year, one saw a couple of tracks in Pakistan that had more bounce and pace than the others. Anyway, as international cricketers, we are expected to adapt and adjust to the situations and conditions.About the battle between Pakistan’s bowlers and the Indian batsmen: It’s wrong to project the series in this way. It would be a contest between two teams and two units. It will be a test of skill and nerves for both teams. Neither India nor Pakistan will want to take it easy, and that should provide some engrossing cricket all through. Pakistan definitely have a more experienced bowling attack. But then, batting is our strength. We have a strong batting line-up and if we can put up a big score in the one-dayers there is no reason why we cannot win the series. Actually I am quite pleased the one-dayers are being played first because this will give our bowlers time to be ready for the Tests.On choking: The chokers tag is an exaggeration. Honestly, I don’t care what people say. We played a tough, competitive series [in Australia] and will continue to give our best.
Sanjayan Thuraisingam, the chief architect of Canada’s ability to bowl out Scotland in the ICCT 2001 has been hampered by an injury at the CWC 2003.Despite several medical consultations in South African, it appears that some further diagnostic testing may need to be completed.Word from South Africa is that further medical diagnostics may require that Sanjay return early to Toronto in order to avail himself of top notch medical facilities and specialists in Canada.We trust that ‘Jay shall speedily return to the cricket arena after medical clearance.
Graham Thorpe may be back for the Second Test at Lord’s after his injury was finally diagnosed.Thorpe, England’s only batsman with an international average of over 40, has been out for a month with what was originally believed to be a bad calf strain. However, it has since been discovered that there is some bleeding in the muscles, which causes regular cramps. He is currently resting his leg completely and taking anti-inflammatory drugs, though should his calf not respond to this treatment then a minor operation may be necessary.The Surrey batsman, however, is hoping that surgery will be avoided. “I don’t want to even entertain that idea at the moment,” he said in his column on the Channel 4 website. “It’s just one of those injuries that is very difficult to treat. The medics are saying I will be okay by the middle of the month but they are guessing a little bit.””As things stand now I’m aiming to be back playing in two weeks’ time which will make me available for the Lord’s Test,” he goes on. However, he realises that “time is short and I could well go into that Test match not having faced a ball in competitive cricket for six weeks. That would not be ideal preparation to face Glenn McGrath and co”.Nevertheless, he is desperate to come back to take his place in England’s middle order, which creaked horribly on the first day of the First Test yesterday; “The Ashes is the pinnacle of every player’s career and to be sat on the sidelines is almost as painful as the injury.” Hussain’s “carefully laid plans for this match have been ruined by a clutch of injuries”; now it is “down to the guys to rally around and get through it”.England players and supporters alike will be hoping that Thorpe is around to help the home side “get through it” for the Second Test in a fortnight, and Thorpe himself is confident of being there to boost England; “I’m prepared to play cold if the team needs me back in the middle order – see you at Lord’s”.
David Ornstein has shared a new update on Tottenham’s interest in Antoine Semenyo ahead of the January transfer window.
Frank warns Spurs players ahead of Palace
Tottenham players had Christmas Day off before Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
Spurs have endured a difficult start under the former Bournemouth boss and are 14th in the Premier League table after a run of five defeats in eight matches in all competitions, and the manager insisted his players must be “grown up” over the festive period.
“This week we actually handle in the same way I would have done with any other week. If it was not Christmas, it was still done the same,” Frank revealed.
“So, we have two days leading to the game, day off, two days. So Tuesday and Wednesday, then off on 25th and then two days. Then it’s perfectly fit the Christmas family schedule, which is very good.
“And I’m a big believer of being a top professional and that’s something I believe the players are and should be. Some need to be guided more than others, but also they are grown-up individuals.
“If I need to hold their hand the whole time, we have a bigger problem in my opinion.”
Spurs are facing an uphill battle to secure a top five spot and Champions League qualification for next season, and have scored the least goals of any ‘big six’ side this season.
Dominic Solanke has suffered with injury problems while neither of Randal Kolo Muani or Richarlison have made the number nine berth their own, with the club expected to seek attacking reinforcements in January.
Ornstein shares Tottenham transfer update
Ornstein shared an update on the future of Bournemouth star Semenyo in his Boxing Day report for The Athletic, revealing Man City are in the driver’s seat but Spurs did make a considerable offer to the player.
The Ghana international’s ability to play in multiple attacking positions and both score and create goals with either foot has made him a sought after commodity amongst the top flight’s biggest sides.
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“He’s an extraordinary, extraordinary, extraordinary player,” City boss Pep Guardiola said earlier this season.
Tottenham player set for January exit talks after returning from injury
A Spurs departure is on the cards for him.
ByEmilio Galantini
“His energy, his confidence, his movement – unbelievable. He doesn’t stop running, he attacks space so well, and when he has the ball, you feel something will happen.
“He’s improving every game. Players like him make this league special – always hungry, always brave.”
One suspects that Peter Steindl would make a decent poker player. There is his unflappable refusal to rise to the bait of controversial questions, his cool-as-Antartica recitation of facts and figures and an almost admirable disinclination to indulge in cheap sound bites where he can accentuate three or four buzz words. As Scotland’s recently-appointed cricket coach – the fourth man in as many years to embrace the role – it is perhaps hardly surprising that the 37 year-old Queenslander has no interest in picking over the bones of his predecessors, Tony Judd, Andy Moles and Peter Drinnen, the last brace of whom departed the job, amidst acrimonious allegations of so-called “player power”. But there again, Steindl must recognise that Scotland cannot afford any fresh scandals or off-field imbroglios, considering the manner in which the good vibrations which surrounded the squad two years ago have been replaced by a widespread feeling that the side have lost a little of their sheen.This week, as they venture to Namibia for a crucial Intercontinental Cup tie in Windhoek, Steindl and his charges will have an early opportunity to exorcise the memories of a rather misfiring 2007 campaign. For the last 12 weeks, the likes of Craig Wright, Ryan Watson, Fraser Watts, Dewald Nel and Neil McCallum have been forced to side-step the squalls and showers, whilst preparing for the new season at the National Cricket Academy in Edinburgh. And everybody in the squad recognises that Steindl won’t be a soft touch if they continue to punch below the standards they established three years ago when they swept to a convincing victory at the ICC Trophy competition in Dublin.For starters, he won’t tolerate excuses about poor displays being linked to the players’ amateur status: a refrain which has grown wearily familiar in the past few summers. “It would obviously be beneficial for our guys and for the governing body if there were some kind of contracts on the table, but we have to live in the here and now, and deal with the situation the best that we can,” said Steindl, whose relationship with Scotland stretches back to 1991, since when he has, at various times, played and coached with Cupar, Edinburgh Academicals, Grange and Corstorphine. “Plenty of people have commented that we need it [professionalism], and yet the situation hasn’t changed, so I can’t afford to worry about it. My task is to work with what I have got and, basically, I am excited about the challenge. We are all committed to developing a style of play which is positive, one which we are all comfortable with, and which enables us to play consistently good cricket against any opposition, whether it’s the full ODIs against New Zealand and England later this year or our meetings with Ireland, Kenya and the Netherlands, where we attempt to make an impression against the other Associates.”But, across the board, there are definitely signs of progress. Our A team will be participating against the English county second XIs, our under-19s will be part of the SNCL Premier League and our under-17s have a full programme of county matches, so we are advancing towards a scenario where an increasing number of our players will be experiencing a higher level of competition. Clearly, the main focus remains on the first XI and the Saltires, because it is very important to us that we build towards next year’s ICC Trophy [from which only four countries will qualify for the next World Cup in 2011). And that’s why we have set targets and performance measures for all the guys in the squad. What I want to see are collective performances, where as many of the lads as possible are contributing in their core areas, whether batting or bowling, and I think it is important that they are all ticking the boxes. There is a good buzz around the camp at the moment and I can tell you this: all of the guys we have in our plans love playing for Scotland, be it for the Saltires, the national side or any of the age-group teams.”One might have imagined this wouldn’t need stating, but as they steel themselves for Intercontinental Cup action, it’s worth pointing out that many of Scotland’s leading luminaries will simply not be able to commit themselves to the demands of an ever-expanding fixture list, which, in 2008, includes a fortnight in Toronto for back-to-back meetings with Bermuda and Canada, the European Championships in Dublin in July and the Twenty20 qualification event in Belfast, in addition to the mouth-watering prospect of tackling Flintoff, Pietersen, Collingwood & co at the Grange on August 17.But, for now, the onus lies on overcoming the Namibians, who remain unbeaten in the four-day tournament, and have amassed 48 points from their three outings, 22 more than the Scots, whose aspirations were blighted by bad weather, which ruined their meeting with lowly UAE in Ayr. Nor will the Africans be anything other than formidable adversaries, given the fashion in which their belligerent top-order batsman, Gerrie Snyman, produced a magnificent knock of 230, an innings peppered with more than 20 fours and 11 sixs, in orchestrating the defeat Kenya earlier this year.”The Namibians are third in the table and we are sixth, so this is a big challenge,” said Steindl. “That win over Kenya was a fantastic result for them and they are on an upward curve, but our guys are desperate to get outdoor cricket again, so they can hardly wait to climb on the plane. I appreciate that some of the boys might have difficulty getting time off from their employers or whatever, and I am very sympathetic to the amount of dedication they have for the game. But we’ll look at it, case by case. In an ideal world, we would have all our best players available all the time, but I’m aware that things will crop up which means that isn’t possible. It just means we have to be flexible.”Nobody ever entered Scottish cricket in pursuit of a lavish lifestyle: on the contrary, the phlegmatic have-bat-will-travel-for-nothing philosophy was and is a necessity for those in the front line. Ultimately, Steindl seems to have grasped that moaning about his lot is pointless – but his is still a thorny assignment in the weeks and months ahead.
Paul Collingwood is determined that England put their Ashes nightmare behind them as they prepare for another packed summer of internationals against India and, in a week-and-a-half, West Indies.”Our Test form in the last four or five years has been good,” Collingwood told BBC Five Live’s Sportsweek on Sunday. “Obviously the 5-0 defeat to the Aussies was a huge disappointment but in general the form has been good and we want to get back to those winning ways.”England haven’t won a Test since last summer when they beat Pakistan 3-0. Then, as now, Michael Vaughan was injured with Andrew Strauss replacing him at the helm.”It’s bad timing again,” Collingwood said. “I feel so sorry for Michael after so much hard work getting fit with his knee, then he gets a bit of bad luck.”It would have been ideal for Peter Moores to start with Vaughany but that sort of thing happens in sport. Straussy is the favourite [to deputise]; he’s done it before last year against Pakistan in place of Andrew Flintoff.”And for the first time in eight years, England has a new coach in Peter Moores. “I haven’t come across him too much.” Collingwood said, “but we met up at Loughborough last Monday. I thought he spoke very well, is well prepared, very confident and very ambitious which is important.”England face the West Indies for the first Test of the summer at Lord’s on May 17.